Chapter 17 - Haewon Sword Style (3)
We both perford our respective Muyoung Sword Styles towards each other.
I attacked, Seo Ji-won defended.
If we were to compare only our understanding of this sword style, I was far superior.
If Seo Ji-won knew what I was thinking, he would be astonished, but this was an undeniable fact.
I was a genius in all fields, but when it ca to swordsmanship, the term 'genius' alone was not enough to describe .
At least in the history of Kalia that I knew, there was no swordsman superior to , and Earth was not much different, so there was no reason for Seo Ji-won to be ashad for his lack of understanding of swordsmanship compared to .
However, just because my understanding of the Muyoung Sword Style was high didn't an I could perform a more complete version of it than Seo Ji-won.
It wasn't simply a matter of experience and familiarity, but a much more fundantal problem of mana.
This was because a certain amount of profound mana was needed to execute the higher forms of the Muyoung Sword Style.
“The way you perform your swordsmanship is quite peculiar.”
Seo Ji-won was also sensing sothing.
He couldn't pinpoint it exactly, but he had a faint grasp of the imbalance in my swordsmanship. Of course, even this much showed he had a pretty good intuition.
“But in any case, you will not be able to touch a single hair on my head.”
“No. You’re wrong.”
This was a fight I couldn't lose.
My Muyoung Sword Style couldn't be perfected due to the limits of my mana, but this duel was a battle of flaws versus flawlessness.
The Muyoung Sword Style had flaws and openings, and since I had corrected and supplented them, I had the upper hand in the battle of wits against Seo Ji-won.
Furthermore, Seo Ji-won had publicly declared that he would only defend, and I had a perfect grasp of the level of power he had decided to maintain, so I could take the advantage in the battle of wits.
And as the number of exchanges accumulated, the result would beco more and more pronounced.
Chaaaeng!
Chaaaaaeng!
This was the mont.
Seo Ji-won exposed a montary opening to , and I did not miss that mont.
Swoooosh!
The Reapersword cut through space, horizontally slashing at Seo Ji-won's waist.
It was a decisive blow that I had thoroughly calculated and prepared from the mont the battle of wits began.
If I had aid for his flesh instead of just his collar, the probability of success would have been much lower, but since I wasn't greedy, the result was obvious.
For a mont, Seo Ji-won’s calm pupils wavered slightly.
“See. I told you you were wrong.”
A brief silence fell.
Seo Ji-won must have never imagined this situation.
It was hard to believe, but the slashed collar was the stark reality itself.
“Unbelievable.”
He put down his sword with a hollow smile.
“And that last strike was quite excellent.”
In fact, it wasn't just the last strike that was excellent.
All the processes of building up to that point. And the ability to execute the plan without a single tremor, there was not a single aspect of what I did that wasn't excellent.
Of course, I couldn't say such things out loud right here.
“That outfit looks expensive, are you sure it’s okay?”
“You have no reason to worry.”
“Actually, it doesn't look bad even now. They say ripped pants are a fashion statent, right?”
“Enough. Stop it.”
Seo Ji-won straightened his disheveled clothes and approached .
“The more I think about it, the more amazing it is, Seo Ji-han.”
“It’s no big deal.”
“There’s one thing I want to ask. What on earth happened in the two months I was gone? How can a person change this much?”
Seo Ji-won asked , letting out a continuous hollow laugh.
Death and reincarnation.
Since I couldn't say that, what I could say was limited.
As usual, I had no choice but to gloss over it by saying a miracle had happened.
“But I’m the one who’s baffled. Weren’t you originally uninterested in , brother?”
According to the hint Choi Ho-joong gave , Seo Ji-won had treated as if I didn't even exist.
“To be honest, should I say I’m finally starting to take an interest in my dear younger brother? You've beco arrogant, but I much prefer it now that your pathetic old self is gone.”
“So being arrogant is better than being weak?”
“Of course! A successor of the Haewon Sword Family must be so. Even if it ans dying tomorrow.”
It seed Seo Ji-won had many complaints about his one and only younger brother.
Even though that younger brother had lived a pitiful, terminally ill life.
“Well, let’s stop this talk and you can teach the Haewon Sword Style. Precious ti is ticking away even as we speak, isn't it?”
“Alright. A promise is a promise, so let’s start today.”
Seo Ji-won raised his sword again.
The aura he exuded was different from just a mont ago.
Without any particular movent, just the level of the swordsmanship he intended to display rising was enough to change the atmosphere like this.
“Watch carefully. I will break down and show you each of the most basic forms of the Haewon Sword Style.”
“Right away like this?”
Seo Ji-won didn't hesitate and began to swing his sword imdiately.
The mont the unique sword style of the Haewon Sword Family was finally revealed.
Shwaaak!
Shwaaaaaak!
It was simple, but I could feel the power.
The concise opening seed to follow the basic philosophy of the Muyoung Sword Style, but,
Shwashwashwashwashwashwa!!
As ti went on, the picture created by the sword path approached with a very different feeling.
The varied movents of the sword beca so complex that it was hard to believe it was the sa sword style.
I had heard about the abstruseness of the Haewon Sword Style, but seeing Seo Ji-won break down the swordsmanship into pieces, its abstruseness far exceeded my expectations.
In the end, by the final part, it felt as if the disorder of the swordsmanship had reached its peak.
My mind moved busily, and I began to correct the picture that Seo Ji-won was creating.
This was because the form of the Haewon Sword Style he was currently realizing was not a complete state, but an incomplete one.
‘An interesting sword style. It’s definitely of a different fabric from those of Kalia.’
If the creator of the Haewon Sword Style were next to , I would feel the urge to discuss and debate with him for days and nights.
Of course, the one being honored would be the creator of the Haewon Sword Style.
After finishing all the movents, Seo Ji-won lowered his sword and gave his characteristic arrogant gaze.
“I’m curious about your thoughts.”
“The reason why the Haewon Sword Style is known to be abstruse. Seeing it in person, I think I definitely get it.”
“Is that reason perhaps because of the complexity of the forms?”
“There's that, but it's also sowhat subtle. The disorder I felt at the end wasn't simply from the complexity of the forms.”
“Hoh!”
“Should I say the interaction between the sword forms and mana feels different from other sword styles?”
“What?”
In an instant, Seo Ji-won's expression changed.
It seed I had hit the mark.
“Did you, by any chance, hear sothing from Father?”
“No way. You said the head of the family only passes down the Haewon Sword Style directly to the eldest son, right?”
“Well, that’s true, but.”
“Then explain it to properly now. What exactly is the true nature of the Haewon Sword Style?”
Seo Ji-won tilted his head and remained silent, then opened his mouth a mont later.
“The Haewon Sword Style is a sword style that engraves the mories of swordsmanship onto mana.”
“That sounds plausible.”
This was a concept that was new even to , a sword genius.
Engraving the mories of swordsmanship onto mana…
“Once the mory is imprinted on the mana, the practitioner of the Haewon Sword Style can perform the swordsmanship unconsciously. Because the mana rembers the previous experiences.”
“So that's how you were able to wield such disorderly forms so freely. A very interesting concept for a sword style.”
This was sothing I had never experienced even on the Kalia Continent.
I never would have imagined I would encounter such a fortuitous opportunity on Earth, where swordsmanship was less developed.
“It may sound interesting when you hear it in words, but your thoughts will change once you learn it with your body.”
“Why is that?”
“Because it will be more abstruse than anything you can imagine.”
“Now that you say that, it’s beco even more interesting.”
Learning a good sword style is always a pleasant experience.
And I had been craving a mont like this for a long ti.
This was because a sword style like the Haewon Sword Style was not sothing one could easily encounter even in Kalia.
Seeing like this, Seo Ji-won shook his head.
“You’ve definitely beco arrogant.”
“Humility isn't the only virtue.”
“Listen carefully from now on. The rest of today's ti will be a theory lesson.”
Seo Ji-won imdiately began his explanation.
Just as important as learning with the body was the theoretical foundation that constituted the basis of the sword style.
Seo Ji-won was not yet the official successor, so he hadn't seen the secret manual of the Haewon Sword Style, but the logic he was explaining was as natural as flowing water.
This ant that Seo Ji-won completely understood the first half of the Haewon Sword Style.
He was certainly talented, as befitting the main family's bloodline.
As I listened to the story with interest, the clock was already pointing to 5:59.
‘What a sha. It was fun.’
But as expected, Seo Ji-won’s sense of ti was razor-sharp.
“That's all for today.”
“So cold.”
“Don't expect anything unnecessary. There’s no such thing in my dictionary. And from tomorrow, you’ll have to co with a firm resolve. The lesson content will beco much more difficult.”
“What about the appointnt ti? Let's make it clear right here and now. I hate bickering over useless things like today.”
Seo Ji-won looked at silently for a mont before opening his mouth again.
“I will allow you to co at 5:30 sharp.”
Considering he had glared at as if he would eat alive for coming on ti, it was a surprising change.
And now it was 6 o'clock sharp.
Seo Ji-won left as punctually as ever.
***
A few days passed.
With one more schedule added in the early morning, my 24 hours flew by busily.
The new Haewon Sword Style I was learning was not sothing I could master in one go, even considering my genius.
If being unable to complete the Muyoung Sword Style was simply due to my lack of mana, mastering the Haewon Sword Style required a certain amount of physical ti.
Of course, once I reached a certain level, my lack of mana would once again hold back.
In any case, the last few days had been a fresh stimulus for .
Learning an interesting sword style after a long ti had pleased my senses.
Even while lifting weights in the fitness room, my mind was filled with thoughts of the Haewon Sword Style.
“Young Master!”
And Choi Ho-joong ca to see .
This guy too must be spending his days as busy as .
Since I had given him so pretty tough howork.
“How is your training of the Haewon Sword Style going?”
“I doubt you ca just to ask that.”
“I haven't seen your face today, Young Master, so it's a bit of both. And the second young master's personality is not ordinary. If he gets upset at any point, he’s the type to just quit the dawn tutoring and everything, so I'm worried.”
“Then is my personality ordinary?”
“Hmm…”
Choi Ho-joong hesitated for a mont before continuing.
“The recent Young Master's personality is certainly not one to be pushed around by him.”
“Then there's no reason to worry.”
“That’s true.”
“Then get to the point. What business brought you to at this hour?”
Of course, I had a rough idea.
“It's about the movent in my Muyoung Sword Style that you pointed out, Young Master.”
“So you're saying it's not getting fixed as you thought.”
“To be honest, yes. So I’m asking, could you take a look at it again?”
I knew it.
“Do it.”
Choi Ho-joong now asked for my advice without hesitation.
Though it seed he still had doubts about my skills.
“It's this connecting movent part right here.”
Whooosh!
The movent of the sword blade coming from Choi Ho-joong's massive body was always exhilarating to watch.
But the improvent on my pointed-out issue was not yet complete.
Choi Ho-joong himself was well aware of that.
“I can see the effort, but you're still far from it. Watch carefully.”
I stood up and took out the Reapersword.
And I replicated the part that Choi Ho-joong had perford.
With a connecting movent as natural as flowing water.
Since I lacked mana, there was no power behind it, but it would be sufficient for a demonstration.
“Is this difficult?”
“It's because of my ingrained habit. When I try to fix the wrong part, the other parts beco unnatural.”
“Don't bla your habit. Why do bad habits form in the first place?”
“…I don't know.”
“It’s a lack of understanding. If you had fully grasped the basic principles of the swordsmanship, such a habit wouldn't have ford, would it?”
At my words, Choi Ho-joong wore a blank expression.
“Then are you saying that you truly understand all the mysteries of the Muyoung Sword Style, Young Master?”
“Is it just understanding?”
Right now, I was in the stage of correcting and supplenting so of the errors in the Muyoung Sword Style.
“Listen carefully to my explanation again.”
As Choi Ho-joong said, it's not easy to fix an ingrained habit in one go.
It's not just a matter of fixing one wrong point, but a problem that requires tearing down the entire background around it.
But Choi Ho-joong was a very lucky guy.
Because the person who could pinpoint exactly which part to fix and how was right here.
If he could just understand the explanation I was giving him now, he would one day be able to break through the blocked part.
I had spoon-fed him this much; now it was his part to eat it.
“Did you understand?”
“I feel like I get it, but then again, I'm not sure.”
“That's a natural phenonon. If you keep mulling it over on your own, a ti will co when you understand. Well, if your talent is trash, it might be impossible even in a lifeti.”
“…”
“But why are you looking at with those eyes?”
“Ah, it's nothing!”
“What do you an it's nothing? Because what I said sounds like I’m selling snake oil?”
“It's not that, I was just wondering when you beca so proficient in the Muyoung Sword Style, Young Master.”
“Don't harbor useless doubts and swing your sword one more ti in that ti. If your business is done, you can go now.”
“Understood. Oh! By the way, have you heard about the Muwon Sword Family requesting a duel with our sword family?”
“If you don't tell , who would I hear it from?”
“I knew you hadn't heard!”
“Who did the Muwon Sword Family nominate as the opponent for the duel?”
“Shin Ah-yeon. It seems the only daughter of the Muwon Sword Family recently obtained her Hunter License, and for her debut match, she chose our Shin Ah-yeon.”
If it was the only daughter of the Muwon Sword Family, it must be Han Ye-ji.
She was young, but from what I had seen, she was not an easy opponent.
“When is the date of the duel?”
“It's in two days.”
And he's only telling this now.
“Bring Shin Ah-yeon to .”
“Pardon? Right now?”
“Yeah, right now.”
Since I owed her a debt, it was a good opportunity to repay it once more.
And since Shin Ah-yeon might beco one of my people, it wasn't pleasant for to have her record tarnished.
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