<The Demon Lord of the Swordsmanship Family Chapter 78>
The sun shines over the desert.
Sand shoots up.
The real identity of the thorns is Sand Spike.
Conical Sand Spikes burst forth, and Han Jun-woo dodges them by twisting his body as if running across the sky.
It’s the same on the other side.
Merhem seems to have decided that she can’t keep dodging the Sand Spikes and smashes them with her mace.
Yet, the Sand Spikes keep rising without end.
With the momentum to sweep away all the desert sand, the spikes continue to form endlessly.
Jun-woo and Merhem face each other’s backs, having evaded the Sand Spikes.
“We need to find it quickly.”
“Buy me some time. I can handle it.”
“…Don’t mess this up.”
“You too, Jun-woo.”
The two of them dart away like streaks of light.
As expected, the Sand Spikes chase them relentlessly.
With every step they take, sand thorns burst forth.
Earth-affinity magic benefits the most from terrain synergy among all attributes, and the Sand Spikes, empowered by the desert terrain, are much faster and more powerful.
A true instance of instant attacks.
But the two of them are no slouches either. Like skimming across the sand, they manage to evade the chasing Sand Spikes.
Focusing their attention on locating the attacker while doing so.
Where are you?
Where are you hiding, Park Ki-hyuk?
Even as they spread their senses as finely as possible…
Nothing.
Indeed, Park Ki-hyuk had hidden himself perfectly.
The life signals their senses picked up were only Jin Yu-ri and Kim Ha-ni, standing above on the rock hill, watching.
But Park Ki-hyuk was nowhere to be seen.
Having hidden his presence, Park Ki-hyuk relentlessly pursues them with the Sand Spikes.
This won’t do.
“I can’t keep this up, Jun-woo. We need to dispel the magic first. Give me a lift.”
Jun-woo nods as Merhem leaps onto his back.
Puk- Jun-woo’s feet sink into the sand.
In contrast to Jun-woo, who insisted on light armor to retain agility, Merhem, wearing plate armor and wielding a tower shield, is far heavier than expected.
Naturally, their speed slows, and the pursuing Sand Spikes nearly catch up…
At that moment, a buff from Merhem flies towards them.
“Breath of the Wild, Lifeforce Amplification, and Wild Fury.”
The Breath of the Wild is a buff that enhances senses, temporarily granting superhuman mobility.
Lifeforce Amplification, as the name suggests, is a circulatory-system buff that enhances the body’s innate lifeforce in a flash.
These buffs have different uses. But what connects them is Wild Fury.
100% of the enhanced mobility from Breath of the Wild is maximized through Wild Fury, and Lifeforce Amplification extends the duration of the Wild Fury.
A lower-grade Shaman spell can exhibit power greater than higher-grade spells depending on its usage.
This, truly, was the hallmark of a superior Shaman.
And Merhem was a proud superior Shaman.
Argos’s Eyes
Twooong-
In mid-air, 100 eyes open simultaneously.
The eyes of the god Argos, who oversees.
The 100 pupils move briskly, turning left and right, glancing up and down then to the opposite side…
Finally.
“…!!”
The 100 gazes converge on one spot.
‘Found it!’
Merhem doesn’t shout “over there” or reach out with her hand—she just jumps down.
Kung!
Sinking her plated boots into the sand…
“…!!”
Hugging Han Jun-woo’s waist…
“Over thereee!!”
And hurls him like a discuss thrower.
Han Jun-woo flies almost 100 meters.
The brief flash of confusion dissipates quickly as he adjusts his posture mid-air and surrenders to the wind.
‘So it’s over there.’
The landing point is in the middle of the sand.
There’s nothing unusual. Just desert sand, which makes it harder to locate. The desert’s full of sand, after all.
Still, Han Jun-woo has no doubt. If Merhem says it’s there, it’s there.
And this turns out to be true.
The attack pattern, which had solely relied on Sand Spikes until now, suddenly becomes diverse.
The disruption spell ‘Dark Swarm’ activates, blocking Han Jun-woo’s vision, the sand whips ‘Earth Web’ sh**t out in an attempt to drag him down, and clusters of ‘Earth Spear’ launch like guided missiles to sh**t him down.
The spells all activate in the blink of an eye.
But before this magical spectacle, Han Jun-woo simply…
Whoosh-
Draws his sword.
The Dance of the Mayfly
A prison of senses envelops the surroundings.
Lost spells explode off-target, and in an instant, Han Jun-woo punches through the mana explosion.
The moment he crosses his dual swords…
Magnificent Ode Chapter 1
Glorious Light
Bursting as beams of light.
Keeack!
The severed space.
Magic, sand, and even senses… everything is lost to those beams of light.
And standing at the edge of that light…
Ching!
Park Ki-hyuk.
Park Ki-hyuk finally reveals himself.
Facing each other with their swords drawn, Han Jun-woo and Park Ki-hyuk.
Jun-woo’s attack was undoubtedly lethal, but given all the defensive spells Park Ki-hyuk had layered, not even a speck of damage was inflicted on his body.
Still, despite not having a single scratch…
Why does Park Ki-hyuk’s face look so serious?
“What exactly is ‘love,’ anyway…?”
Love.
In English, Love.
What exactly is this thing called love?
This has lately been the topic dominating my mind.
It was Jin Do-ha who threw this topic at me.
That day, when I went to Mount Jinryong to thank him.
After enjoying a delicious meal, we had some private time with just the two of us.
It was a very enjoyable time.
To be so happy without sweating or crossing swords, merely discussing magic. Moreover, this discussion on magic.
Regardless of age or origin.
Just magic caster to magic caster.
We had a profound connection.
And ‘love’ was also part of the conversation that day.
“Mr. Park Ki-hyuk’s passion and persistence for magic are truly admirable. Especially from the aspects of ‘efficiency’ and ‘destruction’, you are undoubtedly the best, not just in my opinion but compared to all the magicians I know. One could say, a role model for me.”
“However, I am concerned that this might have tipped the balance. Reflect on yourself once in a while. Your pursuit of magical efficiency is almost obsessive. Your destructive powers are similar. Because of this, your mana remains perpetually strained, trying to ‘k*ll’, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Personally, I find this a bit worrying.”
“May I offer some advice? Do you remember what we spoke of earlier? We said that all things in the world are imbued with mana and possess will. Will is another word for self. I believe mana is the same.”
“So give it a break. ‘Love’ it. If you do, the mana will surely reciprocate your love.”
Love it.
Mana.
That feeling was like getting hit over the head. Why? Because I had heard a similar story once before — from my mentor, inspiration.
“Man, you gotta try being nicer when you talk. Be gentler, not so coercive. Understand?”
“All those little things you do decide who you are. Is magic any different? Have you ever tried talking to mana? I doubt it. You just command them to do as you say, but they have thoughts too, you dimwit.”
“Ah… both you and me, we’ve had rough lives. Forget what I just said. What does gentleness matter? Just ‘control’ it. Let’s work on what we’re good at.”
Try eating candy to know its sweetness, and receive love to feel warmth.
That’s what my mentor told me back then.
Back then, I didn’t get what he meant. I would only understand if I experienced love, as he said.
Like a person who has never seen an elephant learning about it from stories. To me, love was like an elephant in a fairy tale.
Now, this isn’t the case anymore.
I know this feeling of ‘love’ now.
The unconditional love from my parents.
The camaraderie shared with my older brother and sister.
And fatherly affection toward Spring.
Clearly, I am soaking in love.
Love your mana.
Isn’t it about time I can do this now?
After exiting the training gate, Park Ki-hyuk and his companions decided first on having lunch.
Kim Ha-ni, the youngest, was assigned as the order-taker.
“Let me confirm, seniors. Jun-woo senior wants three servings of assorted gas.”
“Correct.”
“Merriem senior wants smoked salmon salad and baguette rolls.”
“Please order it from the newly opened ‘Catalia’.”
“Yuri senior and I plan to eat street food, so I’ll order rice cakes and fried octopus.”
“Onga.”
“And for Ki-hyuk senior…”
Kim Ha-ni glances at her notebook after taking a deep breath.
“Seafood platter with four portions of fried rice, a large serving of sweet and sour pork, twenty servings of sushi, and five portions of shrimp tempura.”
“Just aiming for moderation.”
“Haha… moderation… moderation. Okay.”
The quantity of food ordered by one person was unbelievable.
Kim Ha-ni was greatly surprised by the list the first time. Was it some sort of joke? A fresh form of hazing, she wondered.
But now, she isn’t amazed anymore. She’s seen it firsthand, the food disappearing into Park Ki-hyuk’s body like a black hole.
“I’ll place the order!”
She pressed the button cheerfully.
‘A confirmation message’ floated up.
Today’s winner was the sushi shop. With the patronage of Park Ki-hyuk, the big spender of the Academy’s commercial district, the owner would now dedicate themselves fully to making sushi.
After all, Park Ki-hyuk, who could guarantee your sales once you become his regular customer, was making an order here.
As expected, as soon as Park Ki-hyuk and the group entered their club room, the food began arriving in a line.
A pleasant mealtime.
Everyone picked up their chopsticks.
“What was that you said earlier?”
“Huh? What did I say?”
“You said, ‘What exactly is love?’.”
“Jun-woo, you didn’t need to act so much like a drama.”
“What? Love?! Really? Our Park Ki-hyuk mentioned love?! Oh Ki-hyuk, you’ve finally… ughh!!”
“Hey, disgusting…”
“Cough! Cough!!”
“Huff. Ha-ni, some tissues over here.”
“Here you go.”
Their attention remains focused on Park Ki-hyuk even while eating.
Though no one voiced it out loud, they were all curious about what made Park Ki-hyuk say the word ‘love’.
“Not a big deal. Someone told me to ‘love mana.'”
“Who’s this someone?”
“Well…”
Though Park Ki-hyuk usually spoke frankly, this wasn’t something he wanted to bring up in front of Jin Yu-ri, so he dodged the topic.
“A figure worthy of respecting magic.”
“…?!”
“Ooh…”
“Amazing. Park Ki-hyuk, it’s the first time I’ve seen you recognize someone in terms of magic.”
“No, I do know someone. I’m on magical trading terms with Ki-hyuk.”
“Hmm, trading occurs between both parties, doesn’t it? But Yu-ri… doesn’t it seem one-sided?”
“In Korean, we call that ‘unrequited love.'”
“You guys really…”
“Relax, Yu-ri senior. I understand. Unrequited love is still love, isn’t it? Any form of love deserves respect. Yu-ri senior, fight on!”
“…You’re the worst.”
Han Jun-woo rinses his rough mouth with broth and continues the conversation.
“So, did you try following that advice?”
“Hmm, I’m not sure.”
Park Ki-hyuk shrugged and shoved three pieces of sushi into his mouth at once.
If he could have realized it all in one go, he wouldn’t be dwelling on such thoughts.
“Park Ki-hyuk, if you’re unsure, you should just try.”
“Hem, that’s right.”
“If you’re unsure, take action. Isn’t that something you taught us?”
“Right, right.”
“Senior, I think you don’t need to go far for answers. Isn’t it closer than you think?”
“Hmm.”
Jin Yu-ri opens her chest wide as if to say “And that connection is me!” and strikes an odd pose.
Seeing this, Park Ki-hyuk chuckles.
It’s absurd, and a bit cute.
“Enough of that, and let’s eat. We need to finish quickly for training.”
“What??”
“Whaaaat??”
“Didn’t you assume sparring meant the day’s work was done?”
“I’m fine. Training’s always a good choice.”
“Hey! Merriem, don’t neglect your boyfriend!”
“Jun-woo, please pay attention, will you?”
In this way, the club ‘No Exit Hell’ continues with its typical everyday life, at least until the door opens.
Kooong! Ki-iiik-!
Kaang!
One side weighs 200 kilograms, the whole thing totaling 400 kilograms. The door swings open violently, and a group walks in.
And at the head of the group,
“Hello. I am Christopher William, the representative of the American Exchange Team.”
The exhausted William forces a strange smile.
