novelraw Chapter 102 : Chapter 102
Chapter 102 : Chapter 102
Chapter 102 - The Tower of the Forgotten Warrior (1)
D-day for the Abyss raid.
The current location was in front of the portal guided by the map.
Today was the first time that I, Heo Jeong-ah, and Kim Jeong-rak had gathered in one place.
“Seo Ji-han, what are you doing! You said there would be companions, but it’s Family Head Kim Jeong-rak of the Jungwon Sword Family?”
She probably wouldn't have guessed it in her wildest dreams.
It would be the same for Kim Jeong-rak.
“I also never imagined I would meet Commander Heo Jeong-ah here.”
Anyone would say it was a mismatched combination.
Heo Jeong-ah and Kim Jeong-rak were in a relationship where no point of contact existed.
Whether looking at their age groups or their family relationships, it was a picture that didn't fit at all.
But what you see is not everything.
The connection between the two of them would exist beyond the Abyss portal.
A story from 40 years ago, long forgotten. There, the Taeseong Sword Family and the Jungwon Sword Family would be reunited.
“As expected, Young Master Seo Ji-han is an unpredictable person.”
“I think it will be an interesting journey.”
“I hope so too.”
In that moment, Kim Jeong-rak’s eyes moved quickly.
He was currently assessing Heo Jeong-ah’s full strength.
It was obvious what he was thinking.
‘He must be making a plan to eliminate me while considering the variable of Heo Jeong-ah.’
He would not change his original plan to kill me.
His reluctance to reveal Stupeo to the world for the past 40 years would still be the same, and the surest way to silence me was my death.
‘There’s also the subtle humiliation he suffered from me.’
If things went south, he might even add Heo Jeong-ah to the list of targets for elimination.
Just as Kim Jeong-rak’s two foolish sons had done in the last Abyss.
“Before we pass through this portal, there is one thing I want to say to the two of you.”
“Please speak.”
“Since there's a bit of an age difference, I'll be dropping the formalities from now on. If it makes you uncomfortable, please tell me now.”
Kim Jeong-rak suddenly changed his tone toward me.
Well, since he planned to eliminate me beyond this portal, he probably didn't want to bother with courtesies anymore.
“Well, it's pretty much the same as you already dropping them. Please be comfortable.”
“I will.”
Besides, Kim Jeong-rak had nothing to lose from me now.
The one thing he wanted from me had been fulfilled, so there was no longer any reason for him to be mindful of me.
“Hey, Seo Ji-han. Well then, tell me a bit now. What on earth is this portal? And what’s the reason you brought me here!”
“You’ll know when we get there.”
“That’s why I’m asking you to tell me in advance.”
I could somewhat understand why Heo Jeong-ah was pestering me.
She had followed me without any rhyme or reason just because she lost a bet.
“We came here to find someone.”
“Someone?”
“Yes. Someone.”
I looked back and forth between Heo Jeong-ah and Kim Jeong-rak, and grinned.
***
The world inside the portal.
This was a closed-off space.
“It seems to be inside a building. Don't you think?”
Although there were walls separating it from the outside, the scale was too substantial to be just a normal building.
A huge hollow reminiscent of a domed stadium.
There was one more strange thing.
“There are no doors here.”
If so, it was highly likely that destroying the outer walls by physical force would be impossible.
We looked around us.
Nothing was visible.
No sound could be heard.
Even through my Mana Eyes, I couldn't feel anything.
What broke the silence was a message from the Abyss.
[Welcome to the Tower of the Forgotten Warrior. Please wait a moment.]
“Forgotten warrior?”
“Tower?”
And then, silence again.
The Abyss had only left us with the words to wait for a moment.
Who was the forgotten warrior referring to, what did this tower we were standing in look like, and what were we supposed to do here.
The Abyss didn't tell us anything.
“I'll ask Young Master Seo. Who do you think the forgotten warrior is?”
Kim Jeong-rak asked me.
In fact, there was one hypothesis that was most likely.
Heo Gyeong-woo of the Taeseong Sword Family, who went missing after heading to the Abyss 40 years ago. It was highly probable that he was the forgotten warrior.
“Well. Mulling over the message, it seems to be the master of this tower.”
Of course, Kim Jeong-rak would be thinking differently. He would want to believe it was his two sons.
He must have asked me out of a desire to confirm that.
“Indeed, one could think that way.”
“By the way, this place is quite unkind. Three people have come, and they just tell us to wait.”
“Can’t be helped. There’s nothing we can do.”
But just waiting blankly like this was a foolish thing to do.
‘Time is gold.’
I took a spot and prepared to operate the Mana Breathing Technique.
It couldn't be compared to the Spring of Elixir, but the energy flowing here wasn't bad.
“Anyway, you are quite peculiar. To do this even after coming to a place like this.”
Saying so, Heo Jeong-ah also sat down next to me and prepared to train.
“You call me peculiar, but don’t tell me you’re going to do it too?”
“Why? Am I not allowed?”
“You can do it after I’m done.”
“What! How can you say that?”
“One person has to stand guard.”
“Guard? Guard against what when there’s nothing here?”
Heo Jeong-ah didn't know.
That the biggest threat was right in front of our noses.
Kim Jeong-rak. He would surely not miss an opportunity if it arose.
If the two of us were to practice the Mana Breathing Technique at the same time, we would be in a defenseless state.
I had to avoid a situation where Kim Jeong-rak might make a move.
“How do we know when something might pop out. The Abyss is no joke, is it?”
“Wow! You’re so cheap.”
“If you feel it’s unfair, you should have started first.”
Even so, Heo Jeong-ah followed my words obediently, though she grumbled.
Thanks to her, I was able to spend about 30 minutes very productively without worrying about my back.
Although it might be just a speck of dust, the fact that I was recovering day by day always uplifted me.
Just then, a message from the Abyss was sent.
[Annihilate the Skeleton Soldier.]
A short and simple message.
At the same time, a single Skeleton Soldier appeared before us out of thin air.
***
Clatter.
Clatter.
From a distance, the Skeleton Soldier was walking towards us.
Despite being just a bag of bones, it was holding a sword in its hand.
The thought of such a lowly creature performing swordsmanship was a bit laughable.
“Young Master Seo. Would you like to step up?”
Kim Jeong-rak asked for my intention to fight.
It would look bad for the three of us to rush at a single Skeleton Soldier.
But Kim Jeong-rak’s real intention would be something else.
To gauge my skills.
Unlike Heo Jeong-ah, my full strength had hardly been exposed to the world.
For him, I was a target to be killed, but he wouldn't have calculated whether he could kill me yet, so it was natural for him to be curious.
“I will.”
I didn't refuse either.
“Ooh. Seo Ji-han!”
Heo Jeong-ah’s eyes also sparkled.
Clatter.
Clatter.
The Skeleton Soldier had approached close by before I knew it.
The creature raised its sword and took a stance.
And then it imbued its sword with mana.
‘Hoh.’
Its appearance just now was quite impressive.
The way it operated its mana was no different from that of a human.
Just by looking at this, I could immediately guess that it was not an ordinary monster.
And then followed its nimble steps.
At first glance, it seemed to be walking randomly, but within that disorder, there was a series of patterns.
‘Footwork, I see.’
It was doing all sorts of things.
What was more surprising was that the bony creature’s footwork was quite plausible.
It would be absolutely impossible without repetitive training. Since it was a monster capable of even performing footwork, it was natural to have expectations for its level of swordsmanship.
The Skeleton Soldier’s sword flew without delay.
Swoosh!
A clean vertical slash.
It was simple, but it was a swift sword that did not betray my expectations.
In the spot where I had taken a step back, the afterimage of the sword was violently cutting through the air.
The surprises didn't end there.
The Skeleton Soldier’s second attack connected smoothly right after, pressuring me.
Swoosh!
Swoosh!
It wasn't swinging randomly.
A well-organized, clean sword path.
The sword slashing vertically and horizontally was quite threatening.
Swoosh!
It was already an obvious fact that the sword paths created by the Skeleton Soldier were a series of techniques.
And it was an Earth-style swordsmanship.
‘Interesting.’
I didn't counterattack and focused on observing the Skeleton Soldier’s movements.
The creature’s sword shot out fiercely.
All its sword movements were responding immediately to my movements, and it was pressing me in a very efficient way.
The most interesting point was that it was a sword style I knew, one I had seen somewhere before.
‘What could it be.’
It wouldn't take long to figure this out.
There were only a few sword styles on Earth that I had found impressive.
The data of the sword style used by the Skeleton Soldier began to be rapidly analyzed in my head.
Swoosh!
And then I deliberately exposed an opening.
It was because I wanted to see it make a move.
In that moment, the Skeleton Soldier’s eye sockets glowed red.
The flow of mana running through its bones amplified.
As expected, it did not deviate from my predictions.
Taking advantage of the moment I flinched, the creature quickly thrust its sword towards the momentary opening.
Claaang!
But the place where the tip of the Skeleton Soldier’s sword reached was not the opening I had created, but the Holy Sword Bastian.
The creature staggered for a moment, pushed back by the force.
‘I know what sword style this is.’
With this one strike, I could reach a definite conclusion.
The sword style of the Taeseong Sword Family.
Heo Jeong-ah, as if she had just noticed, was staring at the Skeleton Soldier with a dazed expression.
Knowing the result, it was an understandable situation.
This was the Tower of the Forgotten Warrior.
The master of this tower was likely Heo Gyeong-woo of the Taeseong Sword Family, who went missing 40 years ago, so it wasn't unnatural for his soldier to use the Taeseong Sword Family’s swordsmanship.
Swoooosh!
The sword flew again.
‘Did they call him the greatest genius?’
That's what people called Heo Gyeong-woo 40 years ago, they said.
In fact, I didn't trust that expression because many who were called geniuses turned out to be empty shells upon checking, but watching the Skeleton Soldier's sword flying at me now, I could know one thing for sure.
He must have been a pretty useful warrior.
It was quite rare for me to give this level of evaluation.
Claaaaang!!
I deflected the Skeleton Soldier's sword by striking Bastian upwards.
I smiled at the tremor transmitted through my fingertips.
At the thought that it would have been much more of a spectacle if it were a well-trained real warrior, not a Skeleton Soldier.
If that were the case, he would surely have been at a better level than Heo Jeong-ah.
“I must meet your master.”
I had seen enough, so it was time to end it.
I immediately twisted Bastian’s trajectory and pushed the tip of the sword between the creature's collarbones.
Craaaaack!
The Holy Sword broke right through the repulsive force of the mana wrapped around the Skeleton Soldier’s body.
A halo of light erupted from the blade, and the skeleton crumbled down.
[The Skeleton Soldier has been annihilated.]
[Remaining Skeleton Soldiers: 2]
As it turned out, we had to face a total of three Skeleton Soldiers.
Well then, now it was time to appreciate the swordsmanship of Heo Jeong-ah and Kim Jeong-rak.