KotB Chapter 165
Chapter 165: The Dragon Lord (1)
Translation: Tay
Edit: Ren
He got gooseb.u.mps.
For the first time Muyoung felt something like an unavoidable ‘destiny’.
Perhaps Snow had somehow foreseen this moment from the beginning and called him.
In any case, he was going to Suicide Hill.
Snow… In the past she had been the strongest saintess, but while she had been famous, she wasn’t that big of a deal from Muyoung’s standpoint.
He just had questions regarding her birth.
She was not a human being and furthermore, she wasn’t any other specie, and definitely not an angel; people called her ‘Veil’ in secret.
‘The reason she called for me…’
He was uneasy.
If she had read everything and called Muyoung, then she would indeed be called a great prophetess.
She was so detailed that she couldn’t be compared to shamans.
However, that fundamental reason was mysterious and uncomfortable.
And if she read the truth about his returning to the past?
‘It’s dangerous. ‘
Yes. Maybe Snow would be more dangerous than anyone else to Muyoung.
Muyoung had become strong. He was getting stronger; faster than anyone.
It was possible because he had survived based on his memories or experience of the past.
If Snow turned hostile, it would also be possible for her to know what Muyoung would do in the future.
If Muyoung now knew about the ‘result’ as he aimed for Wung Chunglin, the difficulty would be much lower.
He even kept the worst possible situation in mind.
Snow had certainly been helpful to Muyoung, but it was too sweet to interpret that help as mere courtesy.
Yes, sweet.
Muyoung was not foolish enough to just gobble up the sweet food.
There was a reason for everything.
It was correct to believe that Snow wanted something from Muyoung.
Also, he had to think about if what she wanted from him was not accomplished.
He sharpened a sword in his mind. This sword would never be dulled until he perfectly learned Snow’s intentions.
“However, because you became the First Knight, moving will be comfortable. I’m not doubting Muyoung-nim’s abilities, but because it’s in that place… many will be watching.”
“I’m planning for that,” Muyoung answered shortly.
Relief then filled Seraphina’s eyes.
She had come prepared to gouge out both her eyes, but Muyoung had stopped her.
The method might have been a bit violent, but hadn’t Woohee said that?
‘Hope loves us.’
However, that expression was extreme.
“What does the next test entail?”
Muyoung’s eyes penetrated Seraphina.
Pendragon.
Muyoung didn’t know if Pendragon had been Seraphina’s First Knight in the past.
However, right now, Muyoung needed that position.
He didn’t know if Pendragon had done anything important with this position in the past, but to the best of his knowledge nothing like that had happened.
Above all, more so than the ‘First Knight’, his t.i.tle as the Dragon Lord Hansung’s student was stronger.
Thus, Muyoung intended to do his best to seize the position, like a lion that put all his strength into catching a rabbit.
Hearing the challenge beforehand was a foul, but what did that matter?
He just wanted to save a little time if it seemed he was winning anyway.
“I will watch your military technique. A First Knight must be able to wield all weapons,” Seraphina explained frankly.
It was not too difficult.
Muyoung used a basic sword, but in reality he had handled everything that could be considered military.
‘I remember fighting with a ladle.’
Now, it was all a past affair.
The memory of being caught infiltrating a kitchen while in disguise and fighting with a ladle resurfaced.
He smiled a little.
The fact that he could recall the past and smile was proof that he could afford to.
‘I am walking a different road.’
He didn’t know what would be at the end of this road.
At least he wouldn’t live a life being dragged around, like in the past.
He lifted a bow.
He quickly shot the target.
A total of 20 targets flew around in the air.
It was a fight where the person who quickly shot those 20 targets would win.
Tw.a.n.g. Tw.a.n.g.
Muyoung gently tugged the bowstring to test its elasticity.
‘The elasticity is good.’
Sentiment Du Fer Critical. He became one with the sword and it was called ‘All Flows Become One’. In the end, it meant that the use of all weapons was similar. If he wanted to, there was no reason he couldn’t handle a sword or bow.
“Gael-nim, Pendragon-nim. Well… Please start.”
Gael was Muyoung’s alias. Gabriel was roughly Gael when abbreviated.
As the saintess signalled, Pendragon pulled the bowstring first.
Twuung!
Thud!
He hit the target perfectly in the centre.
As the target fell, Pendragon shrugged his shoulders, as if that much was nothing.
While doing that, he looked at Muyoung.
Muyoung was his biggest rival.
However, Muyoung merely performed his own tasks silently.
Muyoung loaded the bow with two arrows.
‘I’d be no match for the Cursed Bow Team that specialized in archery, but…’
There were many organizations within the Forest of Death.
Each was divided into specialized fields and trained intensively on the a.s.sociated weapons.
The Cursed Bow Team was a group of a.s.sa.s.sins that wielded bows.
They fundamentally fired three arrows simultaneously and they never missed a target.
Muyoung’s limit was two arrows. Starting from three arrows, his accuracy fell.
Shushuk!
Thu-thud!
Each time, two arrows flew and stuck in the targets.
A momentous event.
Seeing that, Pendragon’s expression hardened.
‘Who the h.e.l.l is he? How could that guy be a seed?’
Originally he had thought that becoming the First Knight would not be difficult.
Even if Dragon Lord Hansung’s name was removed, Pendragon was certainly powerful.
Not to mention the purity of his divine power; and he spared nothing in becoming stronger. He’d come this far through really bone-cutting training.
However, a strange b.u.m suddenly popped up.
His entire body was covered with armor and a helmet, but he didn’t even look old.
He was Pendragon’s age at the most, or maybe a little older.
And no matter how slow-witted Pendragon was, he had no choice but to notice at this point.
…The truth that Seraphina regarded Muyoung favorably.
‘I can’t lose.’
Pendragon’s eyes were ablaze.
He had been just a child at the time, but he had seen Seraphina and fallen for her.
Whenever times were hard, he would think of her and spur on his training.
It was only to be her first.
However…
Thud!
He didn’t know about others, but he couldn’t be beaten by Muyoung.
Eighteen Weapons.
It was about eighteen varieties of weapons and their martial arts.
Generally, weapon types did not deviate from these eighteen varieties.
There were eighteen kinds of tests.
Muyoung dealt with more than 10 weapons, never missing a single one.
As if he was an old expert, he naturally shot and suppressed Pendragon.
Normally it would require 10 years to be able to properly handle a weapon.
There was no one that could handle eighteen weapons like that.
This was what normal people thought universally.
“You’re strong.”
The Dragon Lord Hansung.
He was carefully observing Muyoung immediately after what had happened yesterday.
He was powerful; to the point of easily ranking as one of the strong.
However, for some reason there was something unsettling about him.
It seemed as if that wouldn’t be all.
However, it seemed impossible to draw out Muyoung’s sincerity through Pendragon.
“Someone like him existed?”
Hansung had stepped in immediately after humans began being summoned to the Underworld.
The war with the Demon G.o.ds, the eradication of the monsters and the establishment of the city; there was nothing Hansung hadn’t been involved in.
Even so, he had never seen anyone like Muyoung before.
If Hansung, who knew most strong men very well, didn’t know him, then it meant that no-one knew him.
“Seraphina, where did you find that guy?”
“I was lucky.”
Seraphina was stingy with her words.
In the meanwhile, Muyoung ran through a succession of victories and came out.
Pendragon’s appearance pa.s.sed red and gradually became ashen.
Overwhelming skill.
Pendragon was still young and was unable to accept it easily.
“He’s like someone who just fell from the sky.”
“Maybe.”
“Maybe? Oho, Seraphina. Women with many secrets can’t receive love.”
“That’s okay. I’m just the faithful sort.”
The faithful sort belonged to the side that gave rather than received.
Seraphina’s attention was on Muyoung.
In no time, it was the seventeenth match.
It was a confrontation between a spear and a spear.
Using only a spear to battle ten masters of spearmanship!
“A spear.”
Muyoung turned the spear in his grasp and looked at it.
Then he ran towards the masters, as if he had an adequate understanding.
He pierced them like a bolt of lightning and shed their attacks like water as he severed their pulses one by one.
They didn’t die, but many of them fell before Muyoung’s spear.
Muyoung never did things simply.
“Amazing. It isn’t an easy matter to handle all weapons that way,” Hansung marvelled.
No skills had been used.
It was all the more surprising that he showed such an image through pure spearmanship alone.
Eventually, the seventeenth round, the spear match, was also lost by Pendragon.
The last was… the sword.
The sword was a battle between the two.
Muyoung and Pendragon stood face to face.
“It will not be as easy as the sword.”
He had already lost.
While handling seventeen weapons, he had already lost, so winning only the sword would not make him a winner.
But Pendragon couldn’t easily accept it.
“You’re still young.”
Dragon Lord Hansung shook his head as he saw the scene.
Like his age, Pendragon was full of youthful vigor. He knew how to run forward. But, he was slow at accepting. When you’re young, most can’t help but act that way.
Eventually, the sparring began.
Muyoung closed his eyes and raised the sword.
Pendragon ran forward as if he was crazy.
Then, when Pendragon was only a short distance away, Muyoung opened his eyes, and aiming at only one point with the sword, he attacked.
Kwajik!
Sword and sword clashed together.
Soon, cracks began to appear on Pendragon’s sword.
Pshhhhhh…
When the cracks became severe, it turned to powder and disappeared onto the ground.
Just one collision.
He had used no magical powers, divine powers, or skills but Pendragon’s attacks were still futile.
It seemed Muyoung didn’t even have to mix the sword. Muyoung turned around nonchalantly.
“This, this is fraud! This can’t happen!” Pendragon shouted desperately.
No wonder.
Excluding Hansung, Muyoung was the first wall he had encountered.
Furthermore, it was a wall that stood strong while blocking his dreams.
How could he not be upset?
Hansung looked at him.
“The level isn’t right.”
Pendragon was strong.
However his opponent was too powerful.
It was just that different.
But the final thing he saw was unusual even for Hansung.
Swordsmanship that destroyed the sword itself.
“Can I be the target for the next sword match?” Hansung asked the saintess.
Then he took a stance that made the saintess awkward.
“Hansung-nim? But the results are already…”
Hansung nodded his head.
“I know. I’m not trying to change the results. My student lost because he was weak. However, the winner seems disappointed to end it this way.”
“What?”
The saintess wondered, but Hansung had only spoken to be courteous.
Hansung approached Muyoung.
Then Muyoung stopped walking.
“While you were completing the test, you kept throwing speculation my way. You probably know who I am… but now I am interested in you as well.”
Hansung’s reason for this was simple.
He wanted to take off that mask and see.
Moreover, it was also true that Muyoung continued to cause Hansung to speculate about him.
Up until now he had been ignoring him, but not anymore.
Muyoung watched Hansung from inside the helmet.
And he smiled slowly, from the corner of his mouth.
KotB Chapter 166
Chapter 166: The Dragon Lord (2)
Translation: Tay
Edit: Lesurous
Muyoung had been uninterested in Pendragon from the start.
Pendragon was strong, but not to a level where Muyoung was worried about him.
In any case, it seemed that Muyoung’s victory was decided, and he knew that no matter how desperate Pendragon was he was grossly inferior.
However, Pendragon’s teacher was different.
The Dragon Lord Hansung!
The closest man to humanity’s strongest person.
He was in a G.o.d-like territory, especially when he fought with dragons.
It was said that even the Demon Kings spared themselves when he approached.
Even Muyoung had only been able to a.s.sa.s.sinate him after 3 years because he had been fortunate.
At the time he had been tired and exhausted.
However…
‘I want to challenge him.’
Instead of an a.s.sa.s.sination, he wanted to have a fair fight.
That was why he continuously threw speculation during the fight with Pendragon.
It was to elicit a response from Hansung.
Also by the looks of it, Hansung had been caught.
The complete defeat of his student.
No matter how uninterested he had been, he now had no choice but to be interested.
“You’re certainly strong. However, you are too arrogant.”
Hansung also completely read Muyoung’s intentions.
And he could get a sense of Muyoung’s boundless confidence.
Such confidence against him, the Dragon Lord!
Of course it was better than nothing, but it was excessive. There were many times when doing too much was worse than doing nothing at all.
Pendragon was just a rookie.
On the other hand, Muyoung was a master.
Hansung had felt that Muyoung was one of a kind ever since the first time he had met him.
Experts can’t hide all their strength even if they tried.
It was more easily recognizable to someone like Hansung.
If he moderated his movements and regulated even his heart beat, then he could never be ordinary.
An outrageous purity of divine power.
He was a supernova that appeared from who knew where, but Hansung was called a ‘monarch’ because he was undefeated.
“Sword fragment.”
Muyoung said shortly.
The sword fragment Hansung had showed the saintess.
Something thought to belong to King Slayer!
“You mean that if you win, I’m to give you the sword fragment?”
Thud!
Muyoung’s response was clear.
Hansung tilted the corners of his lips.
If his self-confidence was to this extent, it surpa.s.sed unpleasantness and was fun.
Since it wasn’t like he never receive this kind of challenge because he was the Dragon Lord.
“Fine. However, if I win, what will you give me?”
Traditionally, favorable bets had to be made on both sides.
The Dragon Lord alone couldn’t bet the sword fragment.
Then Muyoung withdrew the Sage’s Potion from his chest.
“Oh, I see. If it’s the Sage’s Potion it’s a bit tempting.”
The Sage’s Potion was worth calling the bet.
They were so extremely rare that even some large groups did not even possess a few.
It was enough to support the very best prospects.
Hansung did not have a place for enemies.
In other words, there was a limit to the supply and demand of Sage’s Potions.
Without a doubt, there would be a few of Pendragon’s stats that weren’t even enlightened.
For the love of his student…
“Fine. I accept.”
He had no choice but to bite.
In any case, he had no thoughts of losing.
Then Hansung shook his head.
“Saintess-nim, can you keep the process and outcome of this fight a secret?”
“Alright.”
Only the saintess, Seraphina, Muyoung, Hansung and Pendragon were inside the large castle.
If the fight with Hansung started, it was highly possible that priests and paladins would gather.
Since they would also want to see a fight with the man who was closest to being humanity’s strongest.
However, the current Hansung didn’t want to be seen by any others.
After the chaos had pa.s.sed and his true character as a hero was revealed; only then, not now.
‘Before becoming a hero, while I exist utterly as Hansung.’
He had the thought that he wanted to fight with him and make his own light shine distinctly.
Muyoung lifted his head and withdrew Anguish.
Swoong!
Anguish cried.
A battle of pure swordsmanship.
Even so, the skills that Muyoung was able to use were only acceleration and grains.
He couldn’t use any skill dealing with death here, and the other skills were too distinctive.
Muyoung had become famous as an angel precisely because of skills like those.
On the other hand, Muyoung’s equipment and such were not so well-known.
‘Win.’
Muyoung certainly had no thoughts of losing.
Of course this would be a difficult fight.
An opponent who he might lose or win against even if he used all he had.
If so, he put a restriction on himself.
However, the same was true for Hansung.
Hansung’s true character appeared when he was with Arkisa.
The magical dragon Arkisa was not here.
“Well then… let’s start.”
Hansung held dual swords.
He was a master of dual wielding swordsmanship.
Also, he was the owner of three types of secret cla.s.ses.
‘Contractor of dragons, Master of a Hundred Swords, and Iron Knight.’
Furthermore, all three of them had synergetic effects on each other.
Muyoung and Hansung stared at each other for a while.
n.o.body moved first.
Hundreds and thousands of scenarios were rising up in Muyoung’s mind.
What path and speed should he use, and how he should penetrate.
Or how to defend.
He was searching for the most optimal one.
The same went for Hansung.
‘I thought you would jump at me to your heart’s content.’
It was a surprise. Muyoung was concentrating extremely. More carefully than anyone else.
When Muyoung had first thrown speculation at him, Hansung had seen him as just a power-drunk and arrogant fellow, but after entering a fight with him, he realized that it was just a ‘display’.
‘He just wanted me to respond.’
Quite so.
Hansung looked at Muyoung again.
And if that were true, then he couldn’t lose this fight even more.
Hansung decided to take it a little more seriously.
And he read one among thousands of cases.
‘I found it.’
Hansung found a way a step faster than Muyoung.
He slightly lowered his upper body and wielded his swords with both hands.
The wind resistance was minimal, and in the blink of an eye he was standing in front of Muyoung.
And, like it was nothing, he naturally ‘invaded’ Muyoung’s territory.
There was no knock on the door.
Indeed, an entry without warning.
‘The rhythm is different.’
Muyoung stepped back with a frown.
He attacked without warning and invaded his s.p.a.ce.
Usually, he would not suffer, but Hansung’s rhythm was different to normal people.
He was able to tell with just one glance.
Chiiiik!
His armor was scratched.
It was light because of his dramatic response. If he had been a little late he would have lost his waist.
The corner of Muyoung’s mouth quivered.
Hansung was facing him sincerely.
He was truly trying to kill Muyoung. He certainly didn’t know how to do things in moderation.
‘This is fun.’
Muyoung immediately launched a counterattack.
He swung Anguish horizontally.
Tchk!
Hansung blocked it with a sword, but a crack appeared. One of the twin swords soon burst into light.
He hit the grain in antic.i.p.ation of his reaction.
But Hansung brushed off his hands as if it were nothing.
Then another sword was created.
‘The sword he used in the beginning was just a tangible sword.’
The Master of a Hundred Swords.
As the words suggested, he was carrying a hundred types of swords.
However, there was no real shape and when a skill was used, the intangible sword was able to take shape and be manifested to the world.
However, he seemed somewhat surprised.
Muyoung certainly had a rhythm that was different to ordinary people.
His body’s rhythm, sensation, everything.
In a moment, Hansung’s figure disappeared.
‘A blind spot.’
Muyoung immediately threw himself sideways.
Thud!
However, Hansung’s plan was the place where Muyoung threw himself.
Muyoung was. .h.i.t in the foot and his body was pinned to a palace pillar.
Muyoung dusted off his head and stood up.
A match of pure swordsmanship.
It wasn’t enough for them to just be one or two steps ahead.
In the end, it was a fight of how many steps they thought of ahead.
In terms of simple skills, Hansung was slightly superior.
It could be said that Hansung had the upper hand in swordsmanship itself.
Rather than hack and slash, he had a sense for swordsmanship.
However… Muyoung had one shot. Muyoung’s attacks were all fatal.
With only one shot it was possible for him to overturn everything.
Hansung was realizing this instinctively.
Because of that, he was taking caution in attacking in order not to allow him to counterattack.
‘It’s like fighting a gigantic steel giant.’
Among Alexandro’s trials, if he was to point out the most difficult thing, it would certainly be the triathlon with the steel giant.
In that place, Muyoung lost countlessly.
However he continuously challenged it.
It was fun and rewarding.
That was the case with the current fight.
Muyoung spoke.
“Let’s do this properly.”
He stretched his neck both ways while properly grasping Anguish.
He was done testing the waters.
The saintess, Seraphina and Pendragon could not believe the present situation.
That he was a human that could fight on even ground with Hansung!
Even so, Seraphina was less shocked.
Because she firmly believed that Muyoung was an angel.
On the contrary, it was to the extent that she thought he could win against even Hansung if he spread his wings.
On the other hand… Pendragon’s pupils shook violently.
‘He’s fighting on even ground with teacher?’
If it was with that level of ability, then he’d had no hope from the beginning.
Simply put, like trying to break a rock with an egg.
Even if he hit it a hundred times, the rock would not break.
Pendragon was an egg. Muyoung was a gigantic boulder.
He realized that now.
Mortification, shame, and numerous mixed emotions dominated his body.
However…
Pendragon watched Seraphina.
Seraphina did not take her eyes off of Muyoung.
She watched his every move.
She seemed totally oblivious of Pendragon’s gaze.
‘I lost.’
He acknowledged it.
He had to.
What would be the point of becoming the First Knight?
In the end he wouldn’t be able to win Seraphina’s heart.
He had been angry during the fight, but if there was this level of a skill gap, he would only have been ridiculous.
Seraphina’s cheeks were flushed.
She was not a woman who had fallen in love.
She was too expressionless for that.
She was just concentrating.
She was thinking that in this world, there was only Muyoung.
Perhaps she had even forgotten that Pendragon existed.
What Muyoung was showing was to the extent that even if it was simple swordsmanship it was enough to overwhelm everything.
To do more… it was pointless.
Pendragon bowed his head.
It was a long time since he had felt this sense of defeat.
Tears gathered slightly in his eyes.
They were tears that marked the end of his first love.
‘I will become stronger.’
Pendragon wiped his eyes and looked back at the progress of the battle.
Finally, the fight was drawing to a close.
Muyoung had shattered around 90 of the swords Hansung carried. He wielded 100, but he was almost at his limit.
Muyoung’s flow was certainly abnormal.
Because he suddenly got faster or slower.
Even so, Hansung didn’t collapse. On the contrary, he cornered Muyoung more fiercely and stabbed at his whole body.
His suit of armor was already in tatters.
Shwak!
Finally, he cut even his helmet.
However, only the corner of his mouth was exposed.
He… was laughing.
Anyone could see that Hansung had the upper hand.
In reality, Muyoung was slowly getting closer to using all of his strength.
‘Someone who is enjoying it can’t be beat.’
Pendragon gritted his teeth.
He was sincerely enjoying the fight.
Chwaak!
Muyoung was not just suffering.
In his half-collapsed state, Anguish had pierced Hansung’s thigh.
Hansung also gave Muyoung’s shoulder a long cut.
After this, they began to slash at each other.
They both got back up like Daruma dolls.
Half a day pa.s.sed since then.
“Amazing.”
How much had they fought?
As if Hansung was pleased, his teeth showed when he laughed.
Blood covered their eyes.
Their entire bodies were in tatters.
A case where it wouldn’t be strange even if they both died.
No one could stop them.
Because it seemed that the moment they stopped fighting, an even greater harm would occur.
Because they were both standing at swordpoint.
It was not a fight that ended when one side stopped.
“…”
Muyoung didn’t answer.
No, he didn’t have the energy to respond.
Thud!
They both collapsed simultaneously.