Chapter 18. King of All Weapons – (4)

***

There’s a term called “Runner’s high”.

When maintaining a state of extreme physical difficulty, at the limit, like during a long run such as a marathon. At some point, you forget the difficulty and pain, and fall into a trance-like state where you just keep running.

It’s similar to cases where you accomplish something that would clearly be impossible normally, something that others would wonder how it’s possible.

Pain and anxiety. All of that becomes dull or disappears.

It refers to feeling a vague happiness just from ‘doing something’ and continuing to do it.

And that.

It didn’t just exist in marathons.

…

‘Beyond expectations.’

The more Leonhardt deflected or received the spear, the stronger that feeling grew.

The strength of the cadet named Han Chunsung.

More than anything else, the thought that he was simply ‘strong’ was etched in his mind.

The spear was impossible to avoid.

I certainly don’t think I looked down on the Spearmanship Talent.

Yet it felt that way.

Deflecting and blocking the spear was the limit. Trying to do anything more felt nearly impossible.

The longer the match continued. No matter how I thought about it, Han Chunsung was like something far exceeding my expectations.

Clang!

Even while deflecting the spear aiming for my left shoulder again, I ultimately couldn’t advance.

I deflect the spear and move forward.

At first, I thought it would be possible to close the distance in one breath, but reality was different.

Whisk! Swoosh!

The spear I deflected shoots back at a strangely fast speed.

There was almost no gap between retrieval and the spear rushing in again. Rather, as the match progressed, that speed became even faster.

And if that was all, I would have somehow created an opportunity, but.

‘I can’t move forward any more.’

The spear Han Chunsung wielded was full of variables.

Sometimes it feels heavy with strong force, sometimes it feels too light, making it strange even to deflect with the sword.

And now.

Above all, if I try to move forward like this, I will be pierced by that spear.

I felt that instinctively.

So standing in place. The stagnant match continues of exchanging blows deflecting or blocking the spear.

‘Don’t be hasty.’

The more so, I calmed my mind.

If I act hastily and allow even one strike from that spear, it would be over in that moment.

The spear had no concept of allowing just one wound. Whether shoulder, leg, side, wherever that spear pierces, my body will be greatly pushed back.

Just thinking about it, I could clearly feel that any match beyond that would be impossible.

The destructive power of the spear, the moment you’re pierced, it’s over there.

I forcibly suppress the temptation to boldly switch to offense and end this match in one breath.

Even now, I look at the spear blade rushing in quickly, block it, and concentrate on swinging my sword.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

The spear rushes in even more fiercely as the way of wielding it changes again. I met it with my sword as if gently deflecting it.

No need to be hasty.

I focus on this match itself.

Then… my heart was dyed with calmness before I knew it.

ー Sky-Splitting Blade.
A single sword containing the blue sky.

Suddenly my Talent came to mind.

The incomprehensible principle of containing the blue sky in a single sword.

The Sky-Splitting Blade Talent I came to know. That principle wasn’t about how to handle the sword.

Just words like grasping at clouds. Only knowledge difficult to easily understand swirled in my head.

But now.

A small fragment of that principle seemed somewhat visible to me.

It’s not about cutting something with the sword, or how to thrust.

The difference in mindset when wielding the sword.

ー Finding serenity like the blue sky.

Then, I was able to enjoy this match.

Clang! Clang!

As I quickly deflected the light spear without time lag as if flowing it away, a faint smile played on my lips.

‘Good.’

This match now has meaning in itself.

For me right now and for Han Chunsung facing me. So there was no need to try to end the match quickly.

Because we can feel each other growing.

Right now my Talent, and Han Chunsung’s Talent…
ー ー!

Even while looking at the spear blade thrusting quickly again and again, swinging my sword to match it was just enjoyable.

I was vague about why I should swing the sword and think about principles. But matching blows had considerable joy in itself.

At the same time, the blue light dwelling in my sword caught my eye as it surged more intensely.

That my Sky-Splitting Blade Talent was trying to advance much more than all the training so far.

So I could even feel a kind of leisure.

Not just focusing on deflecting or blocking the spear blade, my thinking expanded momentarily.

Han Chunsung.
C class, Common grade Spearmanship Talent.

Looking at just the objective information, he shouldn’t have been that great.

Yet to me, he was amazing.

I, who was directly crossing blades with spear and swinging my sword, could realize Han Chunsung’s specialness.

‘As expected, Talent isn’t everything.’

A world where the idea that a person’s value is determined by their Talent is taken for granted. Almost everyone in this world was like that. From my family to the people I associate with. They place great importance on Talent and value it highly.

But I didn’t think that way.

People each have their own things to do, and everyone has their own value. You shouldn’t suddenly limit a person’s value by the Talent grade given by the world.

Although I was given a very outstanding Legendary Talent, I didn’t think Talent was everything.

That’s why I could look at the cadet named Han Chunsung without prejudice.

I don’t question the strength he showed while looking at him limited to C class and Common.

Abnormal strength hard to see as a Common Talent. Instead of questioning that, I can recognize that strength, thinking there must be that much effort behind such strength.

So, I don’t look down on him.

Then, the impatience I felt in the dragging match completely disappeared.

The emotions that filled the place of impatience were positive ones.

Joy, happiness, pleasure, elation, any positive emotion you could call it.

Like looking at the blue sky, all doubt and hesitation disappeared from my heart.

Suddenly, a sound was heard.

“Haa… Haa…”

Such labored breathing was heard.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

But it was quickly buried in the sound of deflecting the rapidly rushing spear and couldn’t be heard.

Belatedly turning my gaze to Han Chunsung, I could take in.

What kind of appearance Han Chunsung was in now.

His whole body was drenched in sweat now, and looked completely disheveled.

Even his blurred eyes under his black hair all came into my view.

‘His condition… isn’t normal.’

Limit.

To anyone looking, it was a limit, an abnormal appearance.

A face flushed red while exhaling labored breaths.

As if crying out in distress, every aspect of Han Chunsung’s body was crying out in distress.

‘Han Chunsung has been swinging the spear in this state all along?’

Focusing only on the fiercely rushing spear, I hadn’t thought about what appearance Han Chunsung would be in while swinging the spear.

Clang! Clang!

While I too strongly received the strongly thrusting spear, another alien thing was visible.

The faint blue energy dwelling in Han Chunsung’s entire body.

That’s a kind of sign implying the next Talent level.
It was a phenomenon everyone dreams of, called the light of blessing.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

Even while meeting the spear whose speed suddenly changed drastically, conflict arose in one corner of my heart.

‘What should I do?’

Even now, it was sufficiently satisfying.

No matter how the match ended, I had no thought of lingering on the result now.

This already had great meaning for me. But even thinking of Han Chunsung’s body, I couldn’t stop the match like this.

If the match stops, the light of blessing dwelling in Han Chunsung’s entire body now will disappear without completely enveloping Han Chunsung.

…That meant a great opportunity disappearing for him.

The worry didn’t last long.

I realized the solution right away.

Continuously crossing sword and spear isn’t the answer.

The only answer is to end this match as quickly as possible.

Whether that light of blessing fully blooms now and Han Chunsung reaches Talent level 4. Or not, that was the only answer.

I had to end this match with my sword.

Han Chunsung’s body thrusting the spear now was already creaking.

A state where extreme pain has spread throughout the body beyond the limit. Having focused on training myself, I know what that state feels like.

And how dangerous that state is.

‘So.’

I have to end it.

Right after.

ー!

Leonhardt’s sword, which had focused on defense throughout the match, changed drastically in an instant.

***

“……”

Han Chunsung’s vision was blurry.

At the same time, there was no thought in his head.

Even as he thrusts the spear, how he thrusts it.
Even as he swings the spear widely as if slashing, how he swings it.

Even he himself doesn’t properly know now.

He just conducts the match swinging the spear in a trance-like state. Han Chunsung was clearly surpassing his limits.

His body, his mind. All of it had surpassed his limits.

So Han Chunsung was just feeling like he was floating now.

‘I…’

A strange feeling like he wasn’t himself, like his body was out of control.

He really had no sensation in his body at all.

Yet as if it was something he absolutely had to do. He was just acting reflexively.

Thrusting the spear, slashing, and if it’s blocked, thrusting and slashing again…

Meeting endlessly like that.

Clang… Clang… Clang… Clang… Clang…

The intense metallic sound striking his ears now felt natural.

The sparks from sword and spear clashing repeatedly dazzle his blurry vision.

Then suddenly sensation returned to his body.

Clang!! Clang!!

With an even more intense metallic sound than before, his two hands holding the spear are greatly pushed back, and his dazed vision suddenly regains clarity.

“Kuk!”

At the same time, he could see.

The manifestation of an incomparably mighty blue light.