Namgung Jin felt a shock as if he had been hit on the head.

“I, I… no, Secret Night Sword clearly supported me… how could…”

Yi Gwa-yun in his memory was smiling and cheering, saying, ‘The Young Master can do it.’

That smiling face was still vivid.

“No, this foe was never sincere.”

“How could such a thing… Secret Night Sword’s loyalty…”

“This is a clear overreach and betrayal. He defied his lord’s will and obstructed his lord’s work. No matter what you try to say, there’s no room for excuses. You are too kind. That’s why your subordinates are like this.”

Flesh and bone fragments squelched under the Celestial Spirit Maiden’s feet.

She moved her right foot without a single grimace.

“Since you don’t seem to know, let me tell you that you have the wrong order. When you assert something, you must do so after you have the power to push it through. Think about how trivial an assertion that can disappear with a single sword stroke is. It’s so easy to object.”

Namgung Jin raised his head and looked at the Celestial Spirit Maiden. His burning eyes held a multitude of things he wanted to say, but strangely, he couldn’t open his mouth.

“In some peaceful world, they say if you kill a person, you have to spend your whole life in prison. The fact that I’ve been able to survive doing things that would only be tolerated in such a place is probably because these Foes overstepped their authority and betrayed me. Is this what they call a farce?”

The Celestial Spirit Maiden laughed coldly. It was truly a sneer.

It seemed as if she was completely disregarding Namgung Jin, but her true feelings were slightly different.

In the recent battle, Namgung Jin had pleaded desperately, and his sword path was filled with urgency. All of his actions were to protect the Celestial Spirit Maiden.

Surprisingly, Namgung Jin had always been sincere. There was no ulterior motive or scheme.

The Celestial Spirit Maiden had only just come to believe that fact.

The reason she let out even a sneer was closer to pity than contempt.

If she had truly despised him, she wouldn’t have exchanged another word.

Namgung Jin, who had been agitated enough to shout at any moment, let out a long breath and slumped his shoulders.

He looked down at Yi Gwa-yun’s corpse, then raised his head again.

“Are you saying I’m the cause of all this? Because I… am powerless?”

“Now you’re making sense. Become the Alliance Leader. Before that, I will already be a Divine Demon. Then, perhaps we can talk.”

The Celestial Spirit Maiden casually uttered her words and looked at the fallen Kim Songcheol. Namgung Jin tried to say something, but his words were drowned out by the Celestial Spirit Maiden’s.

“I owe that Sorcerer another debt. And so do you. If I had died, there would have been no Peace Treaty in our generation. By not dying, your paltry claim also has a chance to breathe.”

Namgung Jin also looked at Kim Songcheol.

Thinking about it belatedly, he didn’t quite understand.

Dan Hwigyeong is a master of the Sword Aura Castle. Sword Aura has a powerful magic resistance, almost to the point of being an antithesis to magic.

Furthermore, considering the speed of such a Martial Artist, there would be plenty of time left even after cutting down all the magic shot by a Mage.

Yet, Kim Songcheol won.

How on earth?

He didn’t know the method. Even if he asked, he wouldn’t understand the answer. Just as Kim Songcheol didn’t know Martial Arts, Namgung Jin also didn’t know magic.

However, it was certain that Kim Songcheol had used some extraordinary Magic Arts. Magic Arts comparable to Sword Aura.

That fact alone ignited a fire in Namgung Jin’s heart. He wanted to share companionship and travel together.

Yesterday, he would have immediately followed Kim Songcheol, but now it was different. No, now he understood.

Because the Celestial Spirit Maiden’s scathing words had awakened him to reality.

‘…I am weak.’

Namgung Jin finally realized his own weakness. He wasn’t comparing himself to Kim Songcheol. He was strong enough to travel with Kim Songcheol. But he wasn’t strong enough to remain by the Celestial Spirit Maiden’s side.

To approach the Celestial Spirit Maiden, he had to at least become the leader of the entire Murim Alliance, the Murim Alliance Lord.

He had to be strong enough for his subordinates to trust him, and high enough for many people to listen to his voice.

Namgung Jin spoke to the Celestial Spirit Maiden.

“…I will definitely return.”

“Do as you wish.”

The Celestial Spirit Maiden replied without looking at him.

Namgung Jin nodded once, approached the fallen Kim Songcheol, and placed an Elixir from his embrace into his mouth.

It was the Songryudan Pill, an Elixir containing the Namgung Family’s Vision.

It wasn’t an Elixir meant for someone who had merely fainted, but it was the best he could give at the moment.

‘Please accept just this for now. I will definitely repay the debt in the future.’

***

Why do I feel so light?

Kim Songcheol opened his eyes, feeling an unusually strong surge of vitality.

Normally, if you lose consciousness like this, you should feel a headache and weakness as soon as you wake up.

But this time was different.

He had never felt so light in his life.

I feel good, so I’m worried.

Kim Songcheol threw off the blanket and checked his body.

He wondered if something was wrong, but there was nothing particularly unusual.

Only a bandage was wrapped around his shoulder. His fingers and toes all moved well.

Next, it was time to examine his interior. He had felt it from the beginning, but there was a strange lump of Mana inside his body.

A refreshing sensation was spreading from it, invigorating his entire body.

Moreover, it was being absorbed little by little, drawn by the rotational force of Oneness.

Even with such a fast absorption rate, the Mana lump didn’t seem to shrink much. It boasted a high density.

What is this?

If he absorbed all of this, Oneness would likely grow significantly.

That was a very good thing. The growth of Oneness was the growth of Kim Songcheol.

The problem was where this Mana lump came from.

There was no reason for such a Mana lump to suddenly appear.

Oh? You’re awake! Are you okay?

Just then, Setsu entered the tent.

I’m quite alright.

Oh, that’s good.

But what happened after I collapsed? There’s something strange in my body.

I just brought you here and laid you down. Oh, Brother Namgung fed you something. It was like a round rabbit dropping. And it smelled bitter.

He fed me rabbit droppings…?

As Kim Songcheol asked with a serious expression, Setsu also became serious.

Oh, it’s not really rabbit droppings, is it…?

…It couldn’t be. But where’s Namgung Jin? Where is he?

Since Namgung Jin was the one who fed him, he would know best. Asking him would be the quickest way.

He left. He said he’s not coming back.

Hmm? Why?

Kim Songcheol had collapsed, so he didn’t know the full details.

My sister said he went to the Murim Alliance?

Still, it seemed he had a conversation with the Celestial Spirit Maiden before leaving.

Murim Alliance? Suddenly?

I don’t know either. Oh, please eat this.

Setsu placed the tray with the brought stew on his lap. It was the meat stew they often ate at Ojak.

Smelling the food, I suddenly felt a growling hunger.

Kim Songcheol took a spoonful of stew and fell into thought.

‘Then, staying here might be a bit… uncomfortable.’

For various reasons, Ojak became awkward. Even if he understood the circumstances, it was difficult to casually socialize with people who had stood back and watched when his life was in danger.

Furthermore, if Namgung Jin had left, Pyeong was also a threat.

Kim Songcheol had been fine because Namgung Jin acted as a buffer, but if a belligerent Martial Artist came as Namgung Jin’s successor, that would also be a significant variable.

In that case, it would be a considerable threat not only to Ojak but also to the Celestial Spirit Maiden.

Kim Songcheol did not want to meet another master like Dan Hwigyeong anytime soon.

‘Sword Aura? Ugh… ‘

He shivered involuntarily.

The Sword Aura he had actually experienced was, how should I put it?

It was like a pistol appearing on a street in the Republic of Korea.

It felt very asymmetric.

Somehow, he managed to create a priest’s firearm to counter it, but fundamentally, ordinary magic could not defeat Sword Aura.

‘There are two ways to deal with it… ‘

Magic that can directly counter Sword Aura, or a combat method for fighting such a Martial Artist.

He would need to have one of the two to even reach the next level.

The way Kim Songcheol dealt with Dan Hwigyeong was through magic that could directly counter Sword Aura.

However, it was a one-time use that caused him to lose consciousness afterward, so he couldn’t just rely on it.

***

“We meet more often than I thought, don’t we?”

Gye Eunhwa greeted Kim Songcheol with a smile. Her tone was also more relaxed than before.

“I don’t have any senior mages I know, haha…”

Kim Songcheol laughed awkwardly.

“The Magic Alliance also serves that role. Why else would there be a Branch Manager? It’s a Branch Manager in name, but in fact, it’s an advisor in many ways.”

Gye Eunhwa winked, acknowledging her pun, then rolled up her sleeves.

“So, what brings you here today?”

“I recently met a Martial Artist who can use Sword Aura.”

“You managed to escape well, didn’t you?”

Gye Eunhwa didn’t even consider that Kim Songcheol would fight such a Martial Artist.

If someone could use Sword Aura, they would be at the top of B-rank, and even Gye Eunhwa would have to risk her life.

This was despite Gye Eunhwa being a higher-level practitioner than Kim Songcheol in terms of magic alone.

“Well, something like that.”

Kim Songcheol couldn’t tell her the truth, as it would sound like boasting.

“But that Sword Aura, it’s completely opposite to magic. How do you deal with it?”

“It’s best not to engage them at all.”

“You mean I should run away.”

“That’s right. To properly counter it, first-tier Magic is fundamental. Until you master first-tier Magic, it’s best to just avoid Sword Aura.”

“But not everyone can master first-tier Magic, can they?”

“Is that meant for me to hear?”

“Ah… that…”

It seemed Gye Eunhwa also didn’t have The Source. Of course, she didn’t seem truly offended. It was closer to a self-deprecating joke.

“Haha, don’t mind it. It’s a joke.”

Gye Eunhwa laughed loudly and continued.

“If it’s not first-tier, it’s almost impossible to directly counter Sword Aura. With that kind of reaction speed, and if it’s Sword Aura… if you shoot Magic, it’ll all be shredded. When cut by Sword Aura, it immediately turns into Nothingness, and the Magic Formula structure itself can’t be maintained.”

“That’s true…”

Kim Songcheol nodded.

His Magic, which had been cut off so helplessly, was still vivid in his mind.

“Other things are temporary measures, but… Protective Force Field is weaker than Sword Aura, so if you put all your effort into finding an opening, it might be possible. To achieve that kind of output and speed, you’d probably need at least Thunder Control. Of course, even that would be just barely.”

Thunder Control.

It was the next stage after Thunder Shock, the second stage of the three-stage second-tier Electric Shock Magic.

That meant one would need to master at least that much to even hope to find an opening.

“Are there no other methods?”

He didn’t have the money to buy Thunder Control right now. And he wasn’t at a high enough rank to be shared Thunder Control yet.

“Other methods? Hmm…”

Gye Eunhwa pondered for a moment before mentioning a branch of Magic.

“Something like ‘Contract Magic’?”