Is the person who made this thing a trap enthusiast?
I clicked my tongue as I saw the arrows scattered around me.
A trap within a trap.
Did the Three Treasures Sword King incant this, or did the person who created it do so according to their preferences? I lifted my foot from the platform I stood on and began observing my surroundings.
The space appeared to be about 50 pungs in size.
There seemed to be something placed against the wall opposite the door, but it wasn’t very clear.
“Hey, mister! Are you alright? I thought I heard something strange!”
“I’m fine, don’t worry.”
Good thing I went in first. If Mok-kyeong or Hye-ryeong had gone in…
I shuddered at the horrifying thought and picked up an arrow that had hit and fallen from my body.
It was a bit worn out but still looked intact. Is the tip made of steel?
…If it weren’t for my Aura Armor, I’d probably look like a porcupine right now.
“Mr. Eun-gong, are you alright?”
“I’m fine. It’s nothing. Though… whoever this Three Treasures Sword King is, they’ve laid a ridiculous amount of traps.”
The remaining distance was about fifty steps. However, I was certain that there were more traps between these fifty steps.
‘Is this the last gateway?’
Although I felt uneasy about having rushed through the previous gateways, I quickly regained my composure and took a step forward.
One…two…three…four…five.
This time, the floor shook and spikes emerged.
Fortunately, the spikes couldn’t pierce through my Aura Armor, only slightly disrupting my balance. I carefully maneuvered my feet between the steel spikes and managed to escape the trap area.
…What’s this guy thinking?
Does he really need to lay down so many traps? Surely, the Three Treasures Sword King isn’t some weirdo who loves traps?
…Or maybe the person who spoke of this Strong Hero earlier was either mistaken or lied to me. It’s questionable whether someone in their condition would even have the means to do this.
So, how am I going to break through here?
There’s no place that my abilities can’t overcome, but if there’s poison gas in the middle, that would be quite troublesome. Since this is a martial arts world, there might even be toxic fumes. Ultimately, because energy and internal power are closely related, the toxins will likely have an effect. So, however bothersome it may be, I need to proceed cautiously.
Or…should I just force my way through?
The small safe zone.
I positioned myself and extended one shoulder.
Somehow, it felt less like a footwork technique and more like a new attack form.
With my left leg stretched backward and gathering aura in my foot, I prepared to launch myself.
Would the traps be triggered while I’m flying mid-air?
And can my Aura Armor withstand all of the traps?
Everything will become clear once I try.
Taking a deep breath, I sprang.
With a shockwave, my body soared.
There was one part I hadn’t anticipated — because my aura control had improved, my speed was much faster than before.
As if expecting this, I collided with a rising wall.
Wow, my whole body feels numb.
Thankfully, I collided with it shoulder-first.
I took a breath as I looked at the wall with a person-shaped imprint. There were some scratches running in a particular pattern, but due to my impact, they were distorted, so it was hard to make out the original shape.
“…Arrows, spikes, and now walls rising as well.”
This seems to be the last gateway, with every possible trap laid out.
I drew my sword.
And released my Aura Blade.
The target is the wall in front of me.
It seems the Three Treasures Sword King placed a gateway that forces one to use specific moves to get past the wall, but…it’s meaningless to me. Slowly, I raised my sword above my head.
I’ll cut through it in one breath.
As if executing a beheading, I slashed towards the wall.
Just like when the Leader cut through the fortress gate long ago, the steel wall split apart effortlessly. Though this wasn’t likely the original creator’s intent, I have no reason to play along with his plans.
Avoiding the collapsing wall, I moved beyond it.
Behind the wall was whatever the creator had so desperately sought to protect.
“…Is this a secret manual?”
I picked it up. The Three Treasures Sword Technique, Lower Volume…
It says there’s an upper volume, but it’s not here.
I opened the first page right there.
[To my successor, who has successfully passed my trials, I leave you the latter half of my Three Treasures Sword Technique. Though it may not be easy to learn alone, you’ve already learned the ‘Wall-breaking Three Treasures’ and the initial portion of my technique…]
Three Treasures Sword Technique?
Wall-breaking Three Treasures?
I’ve never learned those.
It seems the owner of this place wanted to train disciples automatically in this dangerous hidden cave. The problem was that they didn’t anticipate a supreme martial artist invading.
Should I feel pity for them, or is this just the result of their poor planning? I quietly tucked the manual into my bosom and turned around.
I can only gain this one thing here anyway, so there’s no point in staying longer.
And just before I was about to take a step out, my eyes fell upon the luminous pearls.
Luminous pearls…aren’t they expensive?
In martial arts novels, luminous pearls always cause astonishment.
Can I take them? I deserve to take this as a reward, right?
I jumped up and plucked a couple luminous pearls embedded on the ceiling, then tucked them into my bosom.
Let’s really go now.
With steady steps, I emerged from the secret chamber.
“Hey, mister! Are you alright? I just heard an incredible sound!”
“Mr. Eun-gong, are you alright?”
As soon as I came out, worried voices echoed from both sides. I calmed the two and approached Mr. Gang. As I approached, Mr. Gang, who had kept his head down, looked up at me.
“So, you’ve returned… Did you get anything?”
Quietly, I took out the Lower Volume of the Three Treasures Sword Technique from my bosom and showed it to him. Mr. Gang looked at the manual in my hand, sighed, and spoke:
“Return it. That’s yours.”
“But after all the hard work I put in to get this…aren’t you disappointed?”
“It’s disappointing, certainly, but what does that mean now? Given the state I’m in, I can’t learn martial arts any longer.”
His head drooped down. He was probably looking at his missing foot.
…Indeed, without legs, one can’t use martial arts. Almost all techniques fundamentally require strong lower body strength, so the legs are indispensable.
Though the Martial Realm brims with strange techniques, it’s unlikely that it would be easy to find techniques that can be used while sitting.
I approached the man.
“Let’s leave. Back to the surface.”
“Are you taking me with you?”
“Do you see me as someone who abandons others?”
“…You’re right.”
I hoisted him onto my back. Even though I had thought he was thin at first glance, he felt much lighter than expected when I lifted him.
“You need to gain some weight.”
“Of course. I need to fatten up a bit. Can’t do anything in this skeletal state.”
“Uncle, I’ll guide the way.”
“Alright, there shouldn’t be any traps, but still, be careful.”
“I’ll keep guard from behind.”
“You must return to the place where you entered. All the other exits are blocked.”
We quietly exited the hidden cave with Mr. Gang on my back.
—
“Oh, the sun! Long live the sun!”
He’s not someone obsessed like me, right?
A moment of doubt flickered due to the intense wording, but I quickly dismissed it and gazed at Mr. Gang, who was staring at the sky with a moved expression.
“You can wash by the river for a bit, and I’ll give you some spare clothes.”
“How much gratitude I owe you…”
“Consider it a courtesy from a passing martial artist. Don’t think too much of it.”
I mean, I’ll just drop you off at the next town, give you a bit of money, and let you figure it out from there. I have too much to take care of to worry about you further.
“Thank you! Truly, thank you…”
“Let’s wash up first. There’s a stream nearby.”
After we saw him head towards the river, we quietly prepared a late meal at a distance.
“The sunset is setting so soon, we must’ve spent more time than expected down there.”
“Our sense of time was disrupted being in a tunnel without light. It was quite an interesting experience…”
Hey, why are your eyes closed?
Did you get enlightenment or something?
As I stared at Mok-kyeong, Hye-ryeong also stared at her. Mok-kyeong, noticing our gazes, blushed and spoke.
“It’s not that. My eyes just got tired from being in the dark for so long…”
I see.
I finally turned my gaze from Mok-kyeong towards the direction where Mr. Gang was.
He probably hasn’t bathed for years, so sweat and filth must be streaming down him. He likely resembles beggars from the Beggars’ Sect.
I guess we’ll have to wait a while.
“Hye-ryeong, go collect some firewood.”
“Alright~”
“Can you help prepare the ingredients, Mok-kyeong?”
“Uncle, can’t I help?”
“Hye-ryeong, place your hand on your chest and contemplate.”
Not really pressing it though.
I averted my eyes from Hye-ryeong’s wrist bent at a 45 degree angle and said,
“You know how bad your cooking is, right?”
“…Alright.”
Hye-ryeong departed with a deflated tone to gather wood.
That left Mok-kyeong and me, quietly pulling out ingredients from the baggage and starting to prepare dinner.
“We need to cook more than usual since we’ve got an extra mouth to feed.”
Small talk.
I’m not sure if it’s good or bad, but the day has been quite eventful and now it’s coming to an end. Somehow, I managed to acquire half of a secret manual. It should serve as a decent reference, after all, it’s a manual left by one of the legendary Great Swordsman.
I pondered ways to use the newly obtained manual while preparing the vegetables.
—
Goodbye everyone.
With the end of this chaotic day, my mood was oddly mixed. Not only did I unexpectedly obtain half a manual, but it’s from one of the top swordsmen in the world.
I began preparing vegetables while contemplating how best to use this newly acquired manual.
