Chapter 44: The Proposal from the Sword Saint (2)

The Heukun (Black Cloud) Guild.

One of the major guilds striving to claim the third spot among Korea’s established top ranks, following in the footsteps of ‘Dangun’ and ‘Ssaulabi,’ the first and second in line, respectively.

‘Not exactly the most upstanding folks, are they.’

The Heukun Guild had grown rapidly based on their aggressive business tactics, and the guild leader, Hong Deok-pyo, in particular, was the subject of some less than favorable rumors.

Meaning they were a rough crowd.

And this man bore the trademark black cloud tattoo of the Heukun Guild around his neck.

“Do you know him?”

Jinhyuk asked Cheon Yuseong.

“I’ve heard his name. A scout from that guild once approached me with a membership proposal.”

Ah…

With that single remark, everything clicked into place.

It was obvious why this guild, all puffed up with pride, had shown an interest in Cheon Yuseong.

And of course, this lone wolf would have flatly rejected their offer.

As always, there’s never a dull moment with the illustrious Sword Saint.

The man asked again,

“Hey, answer me. Are you the one, Cheon Yuseong or whatever?”

“Yes, I am Cheon Yuseong.”

“Figures. Go look for a guy with the face of a gigolo and a head full of black hair, they said, and sure enough, it was right. I’m Jung Dohyun from the Heukun Guild.”

Jung Dohyun introduced himself.

“As for the guild’s invitation, I already gave my answer to your scout.”

“I know. I got the gist of it.”

“Then is there anything more to discuss?”

“Well, the thing is, I find it quite annoying that a mere AA-rated rookie like yourself has rejected our guild’s proposal. This time, I’m planning to make sure I get a ‘yes,’ even if it has to be by force.”

“Are you… referring to me?”

Cheon Yuseong’s eyebrows arched sharply.

“Hmm. Seems like you have more guts than your appearance suggests.”

Jung Dohyun bared his teeth too.

Suddenly, a faint murderous aura bloomed between the two.

Fzzt! Fzzt!

Dust swirled on the ground where magical energies clashed.

Hands moved.

Towards the weapons at their hips.

Just then,

“Put away the swords, no need to overdo it. Surely you’re not stupid enough to fight in front of the Association?”

Jinhyuk intervened.

“It was this guy who started it!”

Cheon Yuseong protested, but only briefly.

He knew all too well that if they fought here, dealing with the aftermath would be a headache.

Click!

“Ugh!”

Cheon Yuseong begrudgingly resheathed the half-drawn sword.

Jung Dohyun, on the other hand, looked Jinhyuk up and down.

As if appraising the worth of an object.

“And you are?”

What do you mean?

“I came to cheer on this guy for the exhibition or whatever it is you’re having today.”

“Cheer? You’re not even participating in the exhibition, so cheering for what?”

“I didn’t get an invitation.”

“Ha… If you didn’t even get an invitation, your rank must be pretty terrible, huh?”

“F, actually. It’s a personal favorite alphabet letter of mine.”

Jinhyuk replied nonchalantly, and Jung Dohyun let out a disdainful chuckle.

Crack!

His joints loosened, his swollen muscles moving grotesquely.

“If you’ve come to cheer, you should be quietly clapping from a corner. How dare an F-rated nobody try to block my way?”

If this had been the inside of the Tower and not the front of the Association, he would have immediately ripped out his opponent’s spine.

But thinking of the aftermath, he decided to let his target off easily by just breaking an arm or two.

That was the compromise Jung Dohyun had in mind.

However, just as he was about to unleash a magically augmented punch,

“That prey is mine!”

Cheon Yuseong, who had been watching, shouted loudly.

Swoosh!

A blade was drawn, and a dazzling light of sword energy poured out.

[Cheon Yuseong activates his Level 6 skill ‘Chasing Soul Blade Energy’!]

“You should’ve done that from the start.”

Jung Dohyun turned towards Cheon Yuseong as if he had been waiting for this moment.

A blue light flickered from his fists, a strengthening type skill capable of turning even rocks to dust with a single hit.

“I’ll shatter that toothpick of a sword in one blow!”

And that was the last thing Jung Dohyun remembered.

＊＊＊

Boom!

A giant body over 2 meters tall collapsed.

A dagger hilt had dug into the temple, naturally out went the consciousness.

“It’s finally quiet now.”

Jinhyuk casually retrieved his dagger.

And then…

“…,”

Cheon Yuseong watched, biting his lips shut.

Soon, he released the magic he had gathered and the blade energy that had formed on his sword vanished.

‘That movement just now…’

Even if the opponent was caught off-guard, to strike a vital spot in such a short time was no small feat.

It was so fast that despite concentrated attention, Cheon Yuseong had missed the chance to react.

The victim Jung Dohyun wouldn’t even be aware of what struck him.

‘Damn it.’

Since their separation in the ruins, he had devoted every minute and second to relentless strength training.

He entered mazes that stretched a single day into a month and trained like a madman.

Battling countless monsters, he constantly pushed his limits.

But still.

Why on earth.

‘Why does it feel like the gap between us hasn’t narrowed in the slightest?’

It was impossible.

Or rather, it should have been.

But no matter how much he racked his brain, Cheon Yuseong couldn’t come up with a single scenario in which he could have countered that surprise attack.

“What are you standing there dazed for? We should head inside before someone sees this. There’s not much time, right?”

“…Right.”

Cheon Yuseong moved with heavy steps.

＊＊＊

The 13th floor training hall of the Awakened Association.

The entire floor was made from magic-absorbing stones and special alloys, allowing players to freely unleash their power.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Weapons clashed, sending a shrill echo of metallic sounds across the hall.

Out of 24 participants in a battle royale, the arena was a frenzy of unique abilities and skills on display.

“Haha, Hyung, you seem even slower than before your awakening. Are you relying too much on your abilities?”

“Just warming up, kid. If you don’t want to meet the healer aunt on the 5th floor, stay tense. I’m really getting started now.”

Only high-rated players had been gathered, so most of them recognized each other.

Birds of a feather…

They had built networks among the strong.

Of course, this didn’t mean they went easy on each other.

Putting aside the intent to kill, pride and honor were at stake, so they all gave their best every moment.

At the same instant,

The guild rankers and broadcasters in the audience kept a keen eye on the interesting match.

“The skill level of the match is quite high.”

“Yes. This should satisfy the audience.”

“But it’s just a stopgap. We need to break through the third floor soon.”

Various voices exchanged.

Most were discussing the future of humanity.

However, not everyone was focused on that.

Regardless of humanity’s future, swelling the ranks of one’s guild took priority for some.

Eyes like eagles, the central seat’s occupants critically surveyed the prospects.

The only S-rank in the place and the master of the Heukun Guild, Hong Deok-pyo.

And the Heukun Guild’s scouts.

“That duo over there seems quite useful.”

One scout indicated an elderly man with flames and a young woman with summoned beasts.

The woman used the beasts for defense, while the man took any opening to press the attack with fire.

Their teamwork appeared seamless, as if they had practiced together for a long time.

Yet, Hong Deok-pyo let the scout’s words fly by unheard.

He was already entranced by one particular player.

‘Marvelous.’

Lean, yet solid build.

The air of cold concentration was so strong that even viewers from afar could sense it.

‘The awakening test has quite a few flaws, it seems.’

No way he’s just AA-rated.

Even an ‘A’ would be an understatement for a class.

The sword’s movement Hong Deok-pyo watched had elicited his amazement several times over.

“I see why your recruitment failed.”

“Ah, big bro. That’s a bit harsh. I would have subdued him, but some nobody smacked me from behind, you know?”

Jung Dohyun bristled.

“Again with that nonsense about an F-ranked or whatever?”

“Se-, seriously? You don’t believe me?”

“How can I believe that some petty nuisance caused your falter?”

“Sigh. Frustrating. If you let me fight down there, I’d have those losers sprawled out and even have Cheon Yuseong bowing down!”

“Shh! Got time to talk about a match now? Focus on the interview coming up.”

Not letting Jung Dohyun join the fight and keeping him as a reserve was for the upcoming press conference after the exhibition.

A unique AAA-rank among 500,000 awakened, rare as one per half a million.

Considering the past growth rate in the Tower of Trials, Jung Dohyun was expected to reach S-rank within three years.

And if it became known that such a prospect had been recruited…

Naturally, the guild’s prestige would soar.

“We’ve spent a lot on this event. You know that?”

“Don’t worry. I’m great on camera.”

Jung Dohyun grinned confidently, filled with big dreams.

＊＊＊

Not far from the Heukun Guild.

Jinhyuk yawned lightly while watching the match.

What is this, child’s play?

Even if it’s not a life-and-death friendly match, the level was too low.

At best, it was exciting to run into Min Jungwoo and Lee Yuri from the National Central Museum.

‘Good to see them after so long.’

Motivated from their previous encounter, they had improved considerably.

The rest, however, might as well be asked what they’d been up to since the Tower appeared.

But as much as he’d like to complain, the public’s reaction was overly positive.

With this caliber of talent, they speak of a bright future?

Absurd.

Maybe this level of comedy could keep even the stoic Elise amused all day long?

‘Well, this confirms Cheon Yuseong’s victory.’

Jinhyuk sighed subtly at the sight of Cheon Yuseong still bouncing around.

He had hoped to easily snag an invitation, but the mood suggested that wouldn’t be the case.

Even if all the players on the field teamed up, they wouldn’t scratch Cheon Yuseong.

As if to underscore his thoughts,

Cheon Yuseong began to dominate the other players one by one.

“Ugh!”

“Arghhh…”

Player after player fainted or surrendered with big and small injuries.

A gap in skill too vast to bridge.

Most couldn’t even dare to track the trajectory of the sword.

And if they did, they wouldn’t last three strikes.

Fifteen minutes after the match began, everyone but Cheon Yuseong went down.

“We, we have a winner.”

An Association employee stuttered the announcement.

Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap!

Thunderous applause followed immediately.

Even the guild officials in the stands seemed genuinely impressed by the fight.

“Congratulations to you, player Cheon Yuseong. Now, for your reward, you can either choose the replica or…”

“I don’t need any replica. What I want is to choose my opponent.”

Cheon Yuseong cut off the employee.

Once more the audience stirred.

‘Surely. Preferring a battle over an item…’

‘Impressive. If only we could recruit him to our guild…’

‘Who is the swordsman so eager to fight?’

‘One of the guild masters, I guess.’

Everyone surmised.

For such a formidable monster to seek a clash, it would have to be a top Korean ranker.

Maybe the unreachable Dangun or the master of Ssaulabi Guild?

Or could it be the elder master of the Yu family, long known as the pinnacle of Korea’s martial arts?

Perhaps from the mercenaries, not affiliated with any guild?

As rumors abounded,

“Come out.”

Cheon Yuseong pointed his sword tip towards a man in the stands.