novelraw Chapter 165 : Chapter 165
Chapter 165 : Chapter 165
Chapter 165 - Breaking Dojos (3)
Kang Jae-gu glared at me with murderous eyes.
If my background hadn't been the Haewon Sword Family, he probably wouldn't have let it slide with his personality.
He might have found some excuse to slap me.
Of course, it's not like I would have just taken it if he hit me.
“If your business is done, I'll be on my way.”
As I stood up from my seat, Kang Jae-gu also stood up with a sly smile.
“I'll see you in three days. It was nice meeting you.”
I expected some harsh words, but contrary to my expectations, it was a gentle farewell.
I wondered what was going on, but then he raised his hand towards me.
“Since we've met like this, let's shake hands.”
A fist bump. He was suggesting we do a so-called fist greeting.
‘He didn't do it when we first met, but now he wants to?’
Moreover, now that the atmosphere had turned cold, I needed to question his motives.
At that moment, mana secretly gathered towards Kang Jae-gu's fist.
Then there was nothing else to think about.
Since he couldn't openly hit me, he was trying to teach me a lesson under the pretext of a handshake.
It would be perfect to excuse it as a mischievous prank and that he couldn't control his strength.
As long as it didn't cross the line, it would be difficult for my family to take action just because I was on the receiving end.
From Kang Jae-gu's perspective, it was a decent way to break my spirit.
“It was an honor to meet the Family Head like this.”
With that, I also raised my fist.
There was no reason to avoid it.
Because the one who would be on the receiving end would be Kang Jae-gu.
The two fists slowly approached each other.
Kang Jae-gu, as he had been all along, did not hide his aura.
A considerable amount of mana was already wrapped around his fist.
Just a simple tap could be lethal, depending on how he manipulated the mana.
Of course, Kang Jae-gu might find it more triumphant if I got scared and avoided it.
That might be why he was revealing his momentum even more.
‘A typical villain.’
For a supposed top-tier character in this world, his character was quite lacking in dignity.
It wasn't that this type was completely absent in my hometown of Kalia either.
They all had one thing in common.
They all got beaten by me.
Tap!
In the end, my fist touched his.
He was smiling on the outside, but as expected, Kang Jae-gu was secretly playing tricks with his mana.
The moment our fists met, a battle of mana against mana began.
Of course, it would be problematic if this was an open, power-versus-power method.
Because on the surface, it was just a handshake.
Also, if the result of the prank happened after a time lag, it would be perfect.
“Well then, I'll be on my way.”
I quickly pulled my fist away.
For a moment, Kang Jae-gu's expression hardened.
The first reason was that I hadn't taken any damage.
But the fact that I had pulled my fist away so casually would have come as a greater shock.
Because he was still in the process of pushing mana into my body.
I turned around and walked towards the office exit.
‘It's about time for a reaction.’
If my calculations were correct, it was right now.
“Heup!”
For a moment, a strange sound escaped Kang Jae-gu's mouth.
Having been hit by a mana stimulus at an unexpected timing, he couldn't even lift a hand and had no choice but to take it.
When I turned back to look, he put on a solemn expression as if nothing had happened.
“You seem to be more ticklish than I thought.”
As I raised the corners of my mouth slightly, he just looked at me with a shocked face.
Still, he was lucky.
If this had been Kalia and not Earth, the price for playing tricks on me wouldn't have ended with just a tickle.
***
The Spring of Elixir.
Today, old man Heo Gyeong-woo was here with Heo Jeong-ah.
He acted like he wasn't, but his love for his niece was truly great.
Whenever he gave swordsmanship guidance, honey would be dripping from his eyes.
“I'm here.”
“You're earlier today.”
“I had a lot to think about while sitting in the spring alone.”
It was because of the dragon's swordsmanship book I obtained from Count Jenolf's treasury.
A certain part that I usually ruminated on comfortably had recently started to feel a bit different.
A part that I thought I had perfectly understood was, in fact, not perfect.
It was a very rare occurrence for me, and this strongly aroused my desire for achievement.
“Seo Ji-han, you ignored my message yesterday too.”
Heo Jeong-ah looked at me with a pouting face.
“It was about you coming here today too. I checked it.”
“Hey, if you checked it, you should have replied, not just read it?”
“I thought you could say whatever you had to say here today.”
“Forget it. What can I expect from you. By the way, your Chamryongdan, it seems you have another Bimu scheduled?”
“Yeah. In two days.”
“Is the Chamryongdan a Bimu hotspot?”
“We haven't lost once since our founding.”
We might lose someday, but it was an unlikely event.
Because as soon as a Bimu was scheduled, I would intervene and give guidance.
“Then, don't lose. This time either.”
“You're even cheering me on.”
“I'm saying don't lose until our sword unit gives you your first defeat.”
“Sorry, but you'll have to take a number and wait a long time.”
Because after this Bimu, our Chamryongdan's stock would rise even higher.
After exchanging greetings with the Heo clan, just as I was about to soak myself in the Spring of Elixir, I felt a strange aura.
A certain presence lingering in the distance was bothering me.
It wasn't because it was emitting a very strong mana.
It was because the nature of the mana it was giving off was very subtle.
‘It doesn't seem human.’
But it didn't feel like a monster either.
Of course, since it wasn't certain, I could have just dismissed it as nothing, but I couldn't help feeling uneasy.
And just then, Heo Jeong-ah brought up a strange story.
Quite exquisitely, at that.
“Seo Ji-han, by the way, have you heard the ghost story that's been going around the Abyss recently?”
“A ghost story?”
If it was the urban legend related to Rosie, I had not only heard it but also met her recently.
But the story Heo Jeong-ah was telling was completely different.
“The man-eating monster of the Abyss!”
“First time hearing it.”
But the term ‘man-eating monster’ itself didn't feel that special.
There were already countless monsters roaming the Abyss, and among them, there were species that ate humans.
“How come you're in and out of the Spring of Elixir every day but so clueless about this kind of news.”
“I was away for quite a long time on a quest. Is there anything unusual?”
“Yeah! On the outside, you can't tell if it's a person or a monster.”
“What else?”
“It only roams the secluded places in the Abyss and attacks people!”
“Is there anything more than that?”
“That's all. It's still just being passed around as a ghost story. Is it a bit lame?”
It was certainly a story that could be dismissed as lame, but my intuition was telling me that wasn't the case.
First of all, ordinary people rarely enter the Abyss.
If the ghost story was true, it meant that the ones being attacked by that monster were warriors who handled swords and mana.
A monster with that much power would have a considerable presence.
It would be difficult for it to exist only as a ghost story.
I couldn't let this go.
Once my curiosity was piqued, my personality was such that I had to solve it.
I immediately stood up from my seat.
“What. Why?”
“I have somewhere to be for a moment. Elder, if I'm late, let's just skip today's treatment.”
“I don't know what it is, but do as you please.”
Looking at his expression, it seemed that even old man Heo Gyeong-woo hadn't noticed the aura I felt.
“Well then, I'll be on my way.”
I left the spring and moved towards the source of the unidentified aura.
‘It's moving.’
And at a very fast speed.
It was definitely a strange movement.
The direction this aura was coming from was the ‘Forest of Screams.’
Although it was on the way to a quest area in the Abyss, it was known as a very deserted place.
There was no reason to cross the forest, and as its name, Forest of Screams, suggests, it was said that unpleasant screams could be constantly heard there.
I increased the speed of my pursuit.
I had never lost a target once I had set my sights on it.
It was only a matter of time before I encountered the fiend.
Hieeeeeek!!
As I entered the Forest of Screams, the mystery of the Abyss unfolded.
A sound that couldn't be heard at all outside the forest was now piercing my eardrums as soon as I arrived.
For now, I would have to suppress my hearing and track the fiend through my other senses.
Hieeeeeek!
Because it was a sound that didn't seem good for my mental health to just listen to.
I could definitely understand why it was deserted.
A place you wouldn't want to come to unless you had a purpose.
Of course, many warriors were said to have explored this place nevertheless.
Saying that there must be something hidden in a place where such a strange mystery unfolds.
The conclusion after several decades was that it was just a strange place.
‘By the way, I never even thought of coming here.’
I might have come at least once out of curiosity, but tracking the unidentified fiend today turned out to be a good experience.
I gradually narrowed the distance with the fiend.
A silhouette began to appear in the distance.
Surprisingly, it was that of a person.
‘The ghost story wasn't baseless after all.’
The form was human. The nature was that of a monster.
All I needed to do was to confirm if it really had the characteristic of being a man-eater.
For now, I would need to capture it alive.
I increased the speed of my pursuit to the maximum.
As I got closer to the fiend, a considerable stench was felt.
A smell almost at the level of an orc.
“Kueeeek!!”
Also, even though I was operating my hearing dully, the scream the fiend was making was clearly piercing my ears.
In the end, I overtook the fiend and stopped in front of its path.
“Where are you going in such a hurry.”
“Kueeeek!”
“You couldn't have been unaware that I was following you.”
If the ghost story was true, it would have surely attacked me.
There was plenty of time for that.
And now was the best opportunity.
But the fiend just stood there like a wooden doll.
The monster's eyes seemed to have no focus.
Even when I spoke to it, no answer came back.
A being that was clearly human yet not human.
Surprisingly, the clothes it was wearing were extremely modern.
I took a step towards the fiend.
There was still no reaction.
An indifferent attitude, neither stepping back nor attacking me.
In the end, I pointed my holy sword at it.
Even then, there was no reaction, so I gently brought the tip of the sword to the collar of its clothes.
And then, something surprising happened.
“Kyaaaaaaaa!!!!”
It let out a scream completely different from before and charged at me.
Its mana went berserk, and the fiend's aura swelled.
For now, I held back my sword.
Because I intended to capture it with as little damage as possible.
Pooow!!
My fist struck its abdomen, and the fiend rolled on the ground.
At that moment, a wallet fell from its clothes.
And on the back of a business card sticking out from between the wallet.
I couldn't help but let out a hollow laugh at the familiar symbol.
‘Gwangun Sword Family?’
A strange coincidence and a surprising discovery brought a mix of emotions.