Your Commander-in-Chief – Chapter 114

“Ugh…”

Just as I was about to swing my sword down at the fallen opponent, a man in a black robe appeared with a fierce energy.

“Stop.”

His voice, though not loud, was strong enough for everyone present to hear.

There was considerable power behind it. I calmly retrieved my sword and stepped back.

“You said you came regarding royal matters, did you not?”

I nodded at the man’s words and checked my quest list.

It had been quite some time since I crossed into this Eastern-style world.

As a result, the main quests were also nearing their conclusion.

[Final Stage for Preparing for War]

Collecting information from the other realm 10/11

[Request from Elder Heo]

Forming alliances with the scattered martial arts factions bearing the traces of the Ming Religion 2/5

“We do not involve ourselves in royal matters. Leave.”

The man in the black robe, [White Dragon Swordsman Hyun Chil-sung], said quietly as he drew his sword.

The sharp blade that emerged from its sheath reflected a cold light, scattering its presence in all directions.

I hadn’t come to fight. My purpose here was to propose an alliance.

“The world is falling into the hands of the Ming Religion. How long do you plan to keep your eyes closed?”

“Royal matters…”

“The beggars of Open Door have expressed their willingness to cooperate. It seems you lack the insight of even those beggars.”

If it’s an important main quest, then whatever I say would steer it in the right direction.

The man with the impressive title of White Dragon Swordsman leveled a stern gaze at me.

A single word from me would invite a warning that he would swing his sword.

I took out a shabby knot I had obtained from Open Door.

It was an item given to me, stating it would be needed to persuade others.

It claimed to be a knot made from dragon’s whiskers, but that wasn’t particularly important.

“That’s…”

“The archbishop of Open Door handed it over, saying it would be necessary to convince someone as closed-minded as you.”

The token wasn’t the only one I had.

I pulled out a new token from my pocket. It was a butterfly-shaped emblem adorned with jewels.

“This was given to me by the leader of the Tang Gate. I was told to use it as a token as well.”

“If that claim is false, my sword will be aimed at your neck.”

Hyun Chil-sung closed his eyes and brought his sword back.

With a smooth motion, the sword slid back into its sheath, its tip barely brushing against the white thread that fluttered lightly.

Hyun Chil-sung’s body lifted gently. As his feet touched the ground, the wind wrapped around him and scattered in all directions, making his black robe flutter like wings.

In a single leap, he approached me and extended his hand.

It seemed he wanted to verify the tokens I claimed to have.

I placed both tokens onto his hand.

“The tokens from Tang Gate and Open Door are genuine.”

“Then will you believe my words?”

With that, Hyun Chil-sung returned the tokens to me.

His cold gaze was fixed on the distant sky.

What could he possibly see in this high mountainous region where only clouds were visible?

I followed his gaze and looked up at the sky.

I saw nothing.

“I will test your skills. The fact that the archbishops of Open Door and Tang Gate entrusted you with the tokens signifies that your true abilities are quite remarkable.”

In the end, he was asking me to fight.

I nodded and rested my sword on my shoulder.

In that instant, the duel began.

My vision flickered rapidly. The white sword that had been stuck in its sheath was already drawn.

Clang!

The sounds of our entangled swords sparked in the air.

As a representative of a faction, the energy behind his sword was fierce.

It was fine if I didn’t win. If I merely met specific conditions, this Hyun Chil-sung would still hand me the tokens.

But I didn’t want to lose. I wanted to win.

In my mind, determination flared as my senses sharpened infinitely.

Obsessive thoughts of victory lingered in my gaze as my eyes darted around, trying to read Hyun Chil-sung’s movements.

Clang!

Clang!

The blades collided. Hyun Chil-sung’s swordsmanship was utterly illogical. What would the developer who created this Hyun Chil-sung know?

He appeared to have mashed together all the cool poses from martial arts movies.

Unnecessary movements. Just flashy, showy nonsense.

But the specs of the character Hyun Chil-sung compensated for all of those shortcomings and then some.

Swish!

The sword swung wide, carrying the fierce spirit of a white dragon, chilling the surroundings.

Huff—

The breath escaping my mouth misted in the cold air.

The more our swords clashed, the slower the movements became, as the temperature around us dropped.

The small icy particles dancing in the air slowly formed the shape of a white dragon.

The black robe drifted slightly away. Hyun Chil-sung stepped back lightly.

He was infinitely light yet infinitely sharp.

That was the essence of the White Dragon Swordsman Hyun Chil-sung’s swordsmanship.

“Not bad.”

The low voice that slipped out held hints of admiration.

But I knew. He hadn’t shown his true abilities yet.

I lifted my sword once more.

At that, Hyun Chil-sung’s eyebrows twitched.

“Are you going to continue?”

“I will continue.”

“Your spirit is like that of the White Dragon Mountain itself. I acknowledge you.”

The moment those words left his mouth, the energy around Hyun Chil-sung began to change.

The black robe he wore fluttered as a white energy began to emanate.

The real fight was about to begin. The moment I recognized that fact, I too unleashed everything I had.

The potion that fell into my palm surged energy throughout my body, and the black lightning falling from the sky began to awaken a true form.

“I’m going in earnest.”

That’s the moment. Just as the space around him crumpled, Hyun Chil-sung’s spot distorted.

A short sound echoed. With an afterimage, Hyun Chil-sung’s body transformed into a white dragon.

He charged at me. The brisk speed froze the air around us.

Crack!

I was slow to react. My mind understood, but my body couldn’t keep up.

As the pain in my head ignited to its limit, I saw a white dragon gaping its mouth, ready to swallow me whole.

“Raaaaar!”

The delayed energy burst forth like a blizzard, spreading in all directions.

“Phew—”

A low breath escaped my lips, accompanied by faint sparks.

The sword I swung could not reach the white dragon.

I was on the brink of death.

My vision began to turn red, and my weary legs threatened to give way.

All I could do was lean on my sword.

Swish—thud!

Hyun Chil-sung, having sheathed his white dragon sword, approached slowly and handed me a white plate.

[White Dragon Token]

A token infused with the spirit of a white dragon.

Proof that the leader of the White Dragon Society has acknowledged you.

※ While in possession, flight becomes possible.

“I will believe your words to be true.”

I nodded, looking up at Hyun Chil-sung through my reddened vision.

The battle was over. My health quickly surged back, and my red vision gradually cleared.

As he watched, Hyun Chil-sung extended his hand toward the empty air.

In that moment, a distant white sword flew toward him, pulled into his hand.

It resembled the swords used by the trainees scattered around us.

“I hope you’ll accept this.”

[Training Sword – White Blade]

An item required to unlock the 8th rank profession: White Dragon Swordsman.

You can acquire it by meeting specific conditions.

The moment I grasped the white sword, the name of Hyun Chil-sung in front of me began to change.

[White Dragon Swordsman Hyun Chil-sung]

[Instructor for Advancing to the White Dragon Swordsman]

I furrowed my brow as I confirmed his changed appearance.

I was pleased to have unlocked a new 8th rank profession, but I still had no idea what conditions had been satisfied for this to occur.

Could it have been from reacting to his attack? Or perhaps enduring that attack without retreating?

Either way, there was no way to check again.

I felt a sense of unease but nodded anyway.

In any case, I had taken another step closer to the end of this story.

The moment my conversation with Hyun Chil-sung concluded, I opened my eyes in front of the vast building of the White Dragon Society.

The towering mountain and the endlessly extending white structure resembled a great white dragon.

Crunch—crunch—

The sensation of snow crunching beneath me was hyper-realistic.

“Let’s go!”

It was time to move to the next location.

I shouted loudly in a familiar stance.

My arms spread wide, and my legs stretched out.

What appeared was a massive griffon, Pi-yak.

“Pi-yak!”

Having made a grand entrance after a long time, Pi-yak let out an imposing cry.

There was no warning message this time, just like when I first summoned Pi-yak.

Thanks to the power of the White Dragon Token acquired here, flight was now possible.

“Let’s go!”

I effortlessly mounted Pi-yak’s back.

The gigantic griffon took off, soaring high into the sky.

Snowflakes scattered around us, creating a sharp sound of wind.

Boom-!

I repeated acceleration after acceleration. Each time I pushed off the air, Pi-yak’s speed shot up, reaching its max.

Riding a wolf over long distances was now a thing of the past. It was Pi-yak’s era now.

“Pi-yak!”

With Pi-yak’s roar, we soared beyond the snow-covered White Dragon Mountain Range.

Following the guidance of the main quest, the destination was a mountain far away.

Thanks to Pi-yak, I was able to move swiftly. If I had ridden a wolf, it would have taken me over 30 minutes to arrive.

My gaze swept across the mountain range. The trees that should have been green were withered and dry, but the massive temple built high on that mountain retained its color.

[Shaolin Temple]

A place that cannot be missing in a martial arts-themed game.

This time, I had to persuade the monks of the Shaolin Temple.

I urged Pi-yak to speedily approach. There was no need to enter through the gate.

“Pi-yak!”

We landed atop the highest point of the grand temple.

At that moment, a transparent message appeared before me.

[Heroic Journey Achievement!]

Eternal Unchanging – Shaolin

“What the…?”

It seemed this place was a hidden achievement location.

It was of little concern to me. I wasn’t someone who enjoyed breaking achievements, so I didn’t feel the need to remember it.

I dashed from the roof of the temple into the building inside.