<THE DEMON LORD OF THE SWORDSMANSHIP FAMILY CHAPTER 3>
There are three main clues about this body.
1. An enigmatic sensation.
2. A physique that even the word “overwhelming” doesn’t fully capture.
And the final.
3. Mana Deficiency Syndrome.
A rare condition that blocks all mana.
What secret do these seemingly unrelated three clues point to?
“First, the enigmatic sensation.”
When I opened my eyes and came to my senses, my mind was already a battleground of various sensations.
My hearing was filled with a doctor’s cries, the hurried breaths of a nurse; my sense of smell detected the probable lingering scent of alcohol, the nurse’s shampoo, and the antiseptic smell of the operating room.
The touch was so acute it even felt the breath of others, and the glaring surgical light temporarily blinded me.
As for taste? Even the bland hospital porridge revealed itself to have a subtle sweetness from carbohydrates.
To be honest, if I wasn’t the Demon Lord reincarnate but instead just an ordinary man, I would have gone mad already. I lost consciousness so many times, drowning in the violent flood of sensations.
From sight to taste, my senses were truly enigmatic.
Even now, you can see it. Couples whispering love, salarymen drunk for some reason – within 50 meters ahead, every existence was sensed despite the lack of mana.
Even in my past life, this would’ve been impossible without mana. Even the Sword Master would likely fail if he were in my situation.
With certainty as a former Demon Lord, this sensation was absolutely not something a human could possess.
Next,
“Second, a body so overwhelming it makes the adjective redundant.”
I’ve personally proven this. Based on information I gathered, the time this body lay unconscious was half a year. The muscles had atrophied, the skin grew transparent like paper, the organs deteriorated gradually, and the body slowly adapted to life support, dying bit by bit.
For half a year, I was but a living corpse.
Yet within less than two months of regaining consciousness, I’m running. How can I describe this miraculous recovery?
Similarly, the bone and muscle structure. Muscle synthesis activated daily, the skeletal muscles grew at abnormal rates, and this level of physicality should be compared not with humans but with Troll or Ogre-like monsters.
In short, like the senses, my physical body far exceeds the limits of humanity.
And the last and most crucial clue,
“Mana Deficiency Syndrome.”
Mana is the energy of the world.
Thus, everything that constitutes the world contains mana.
Whether it be the dog barking over there, the sparrow enjoying the wind atop the utility pole, the rampant weeds, and even the bench I’m sitting on—they all contain mana.
Because mana is the energy of the world. These are all beings existing in this world.
Regardless of animate or inanimate objects, they all possess mana.
Except me.
Though mana is supposed to be the world’s energy, and I live in this world, I have no mana.
Everything in this world should contain mana, but I, who tread upon it, who leaps, and who breathes, lack it entirely.
As if I alone have stepped outside the order of the world.
Only I lack mana.
And then,
‘I know what such an existence is.’
Excluding gods, there are only two beings that exist outside the world’s order.
“One is the Dragon.”
The rulers of Magic. Dragon.
Living magic itself, befitting their title as rulers of magic. They breathe mana from nature, vibrate mana by mere will—without the need for sustenance, chants, or any complex formulae. For them, magic was merely language.
Dragon-speech.
The power derived from this world’s order.
‘That’s why the definition of magic is ‘the strength permitted by the world.’ The power within order.’
Of course, this talk refers to the dragons from the ancient era. The dragons of the present—well, or shall we say my past life—when my expedition team exterminated the dragon, they were no mythical beings.
Even though it could breathe fire, it had lost its Dragon-speech. That dragon was a demigod—a mortal.
And if the expedition was nearly wiped out by that demigod dragon, one can infer the strength of the dragons from the beginning of time.
Still, the possibility of me being a dragon is 0. How could a dragon lack mana? They’re composed of enormous amounts of mana from the moment of birth, even their eggshells contain a vast amount.
I, with not a drop of mana, do not qualify.
So there’s only one remaining possibility, and perhaps this is where the crux of the matter truly begins.
There are only two beings who exist outside the order of the world. Since the Dragon is excluded, that leaves one.
This one entity fits perfectly with the prior mentioned enigmatic sense and overwhelming physique.
Still, the reason I approach this matter so cautiously is because it’s something I’ve only heard of but never seen. Moreover, it’s not just me. If you’re not a god, it’s unlikely you’ve ever seen this entity.
Because, alongside Dragons, this being ruled the ancient world.
The first human being, the strongest human being.
A mortal yet immortal, a creation of the gods yet who dreamed to become one, and thus was punished by the gods into extinction.
The mythological paramount existence.
While the Dragon is the ruler of Magic, the other is the embodiment of Violence.
A being that ended everything and brought the world to its end.
Thence, creating a new world.
The Balancer of Genesis.
“The Giant.”
This was the truth of my body.
…
…
“Now that I’ve figured out what I am, all I need to do is confirm it.”
There hasn’t been an appropriate opportunity yet. Well, given the state of this body, what kind of lunatic would pick a fight? I was about to give up on the idea…
…But then it happened.
“Hey, Incapable One!”
What kind of creature is this cutie?
10 minutes ago, as usual, I was sweating it out at the gym.
Especially today, the focus was the lower body. A true man’s charm comes from a strong lower body!
Before the 120-kg barbell, I prayed to the heavens and proceeded to lift it devoutly, completing 12 reps for 5 sets.
Just as I was starting the 4th set,
“Hey, Incapable One!”
…Incapable One? This must be directed at me, right?
As expected. Turning my head, I saw three men standing, one leaning on the other.
“Didn’t notice us before? Anyway, you’re still slow, Incapable One, huh?”
“Had you noticed us earlier, you would’ve reacted.”
“Maybe the guy doesn’t have either awareness or power?”
They’re chuckling amongst themselves, evidently finding joy in it.
I thought,
What kind of cutie is this?
“What kind of cutie is this?”
“What?! Cutie? Are you crazy?”
“Oh, this is shocking. I’m sorry, cutie.”
The gangly and skinny one, the hefty and plump one, and lastly, the one who seems to be the leader—Cutie.
Isn’t this too cliché of a delinquent trope?
My “cutie” line flustered Cutie for a moment, but his two friends, masquerading as his allies, gave him some encouragement.
“Hey, you. If you’ve returned to the neighborhood, shouldn’t you have reported to your elders?”
“Hmm, I don’t recall much, but were we acquainted?”
“What?! Don’t tell me you don’t know me? Don’t you know me, Yeon Jae-hun?”
“This Incapable One seems completely deranged. This is Yeon Jae-hun! Yeon Jae-hun!”
“The top student in special talents from Yeon Hwa Middle School! The scion of the Seven Stars Group, one of Korea’s top three conglomerates!”
“That’s enough. Stop it!!”
What is this? Have they no shame?
“Let’s sum things up.”
Apparently, during middle school, this oblivious cutie had more mana and was chosen for special talents while I, filled with envy, stumbled upon Mana Deficiency Syndrome, which they seem to have taken amusement in.
There’s something I didn’t want to say, but…
“…Park Ki-hyuk, isn’t it? You went around getting your a** kicked by those kinds of guys?”
“What are you whispering, Incapable One? If you were here as a friend, you should have just greeted nicely. Are you mocking me?”
“Relax, Jae-hoon. He wouldn’t understand anything. Let’s go.”
“No, it’s not logical. How can someone like you talk to him? Let’s head to the game room.”
“Let go! Let me go!”
“Hey, give him a chance. This is interesting. What’s he going to do?”
“…!!”
“Interesting, is it? You Incapable One, receiving this favor and showing no gratitude, huh? The more I think about it, the more pissed off I get. Hey, hey, let go. Let me go, alright.”
As the skinny and the hefty one feigned loosening their grip, Cutie stood with a smug expression for a moment.
“You’re dead.”
Sparks start to fly.
Zzzt!
Clearly, magic.
What’s more, it’s lightning magic with destructive power rivalling fire!
“What? Are you scared? It’s too late, kid. Praying now won’t help because we’re not going to forgive you.”
The hefty and skinny ones warn severely, pointing towards me.
But here is the thing.
I am actually pleased at this very moment.
“Wow…!”
Magic! A broad smile spreads across my face until my ears.
I needed to assess anyway, this is unexpected luck!
“He’s laughing? This guy is laughing?”
“Jae-hoon, let’s leave. You know you’re not supposed to employ abilities.”
“Get out of my way! You’re dead, you son of—!”
“Jae-hoon!”
“Hey, both of you, get out of the way.”
A grin spreads from ear to ear, and then,
A bolt of lightning strikes.
Optimum Agent Headquarters.
Atop the towering skyscraper befitting one of the world’s top five agencies, this is where the representative of the Optimum Empire, Kim Yeon-hee, was seated.
On a large screen set up in one corner of the office, a video was being broadcast. Silently, Kim Yeon-hee flicked her fingers while intently watching the video.
Zzzt! Zzzt!
“d*e! d*e I said!”
Zzzt!
With a brightness that almost blinded the camera, a high-voltage bolt of lightning struck.
Despite the distressing nature of the scene, Kim Yeon-hee did not avert her gaze.
Instead, she was focused intently on every single detail of the video.
At that moment,
Knock, knock, the door opened, and the Secretary-General entered.
Kim Yeon-hee asked without taking her eyes off the screen.
“Report.”
“The legal team of the Seven Stars Group concluded our discussion. Neither side wants the matter to escalate.”
“Is that all?”
“Not entirely. They also assured complete control over the media. Furthermore, they claimed responsibility should Park Ki-hyuk show even the slightest abnormality in his health afterward.”
“Hmm…”
Knock, knock.
Kim Yeon-hee’s fingers tapped lightly against the table.
It was a habit she had when something didn’t sit right, and as expected, a cold anger emanated from her.
“Dared they, Seven Stars Group, to mess with us. If it weren’t for what Park Ki-hyuk said, by now—”
Beads of cold sweat ran down the Secretary-General’s back.
‘What lunatic, no matter how immature, would dare touch that child…!’
The world doesn’t know the true nature of this household.
They don’t know what happens when this family becomes enraged.
Huff.
Taking a deep breath and collecting her anger, Kim Yeon-hee spoke.
“The calculations are off. Revisit with due consideration and proceed.”
“Yes, understood. I’ll arrange the meeting again.”
The Secretary-General bowed and exited the room.
Alone again, Kim Yeon-hee still refused to look away from the bolt of lightning striking her son’s head.
Or perhaps she was only watching Park Ki-hyuk, who smiled even as the lightning hit him.
“What is this? So mysterious…”
Optimum Agent is one of the world’s top five agencies. Naturally, its representative, Kim Yeon-hee, had an exceptional understanding of superhuman abilities.
Yet, she couldn’t figure this out. It wasn’t bias due to it involving her son—she truly didn’t know.
“Magic resistance? No, it doesn’t make sense.”
Magic resistance requires training.
But Kim Yeon-hee knew better than anyone what her son looked like a month ago. The child who could barely walk—there was no room for the word ‘training’ in his condition.
So, ‘magic immunity,’ then?
“Could my son rival a Titan?”
Titan—the American representative hero with absolute magic immunity, known as one of the safest beings ever.
Could Park Ki-hyuk rival such a Titan? Still, it’s too premature to say with certainty.
“One other thing.”
Now, the video reached its final scene.
“Come on, come closer.”
“You’re a tighty.”
Snap!
“Uaaaaaah!”
“Get stronger and come back.”
“Tsk. Get stronger and come back, he says.”
This joke was inherited from me, wasn’t it?
For a brief moment, Kim Yeon-hee smiled at her son’s actions, then her expression stiffened.
Yeon Jae-hoon’s leg was cleanly shattered. A perfect hit, without a flaw.
But what interested Kim Yeon-hee wasn’t her son’s striking skills.
Yeon Jae-hoon.
The second son of the Seven Stars Group.
Famously, the Seven Stars Group doted heavily on their second son for their Agent business ambitions, showering him with support. Thanks to that, he possessed mana far exceeding his age and was recognized as a special student in middle school.
Given his early genius status, Yeon Jae-hoon would’ve certainly known how to protect his body with mana.
It’s basic knowledge.
“Still, he was clean in breaking Yeon Jae-hoon’s leg.”
Our Ki-hyuk, who has not a droplet of mana.
When asking for advice from the capable individuals within the agency, none could provide a clear answer.
The closest suggestion?
“If pure strength surpasses mana, it may be possible…”
Tap, tap, tap…
Kim Yeon-hee tapped her fingers.
“So, Ki-hyuk, this is your answer?”
Her worried gaze bore into the image of her smiling son.
The next day, an enrollment application was received at the Korea Academy.
Three characters filled the name section.
Park Ki-hyuk
