Episode 874
“The Sword of Thunder….” Laon let out a small whimper as he met Glenn’s intense gaze.
“Since it was made by the Master, it must be a strong and highly perfected swordsmanship, but I’m not sure if it will suit me.”
Currently, he possessed the attributes of fire, frost, wind, and earth obtained from the Flame, Frost, Wind, and Sword Villages.
The Thunder Sword that Glenn was going to teach him would undoubtedly be destructive, but Laon wasn’t convinced that it would lead to good results for him, who had already mastered four attributes.
“Too much power can also be poison.”
While he was proficient in fire and frost, and familiar with wind, he still had a long way to go to adapt to the earth attribute. He worried whether he could properly wield the Thunder Sword in his current state.
“You have mastered more than one or two attributes, so it is natural for you to think that way.”
Glenn nodded calmly as if anticipating his question.
“Most transcendent beings focus on one or two attributes. Not because it is necessary, but because learning other attributes requires too much time.”
He lowered his eyebrows, saying that someone who learned the Flame attribute would need three times as much time to learn Frost.
“However, Laon, you are different.”
Glenn’s red eyes began to shine with an expectation akin to a star.
“During your Expert phase, you freely used fire and frost, and after becoming a Master, you incorporated those two attributes into your swordsmanship. And now, you have even created swordsmanship that encompasses wind.”
He nodded significantly as if impressed.
“Even so, your vessel is not yet full. By mastering the earth attribute and wielding the Thunder Sword you will learn now, your level will rise even higher.”
Glenn laughed, saying he had never seen anyone with such a large capacity for learning.
“If you complete the Perfect Sword that harmonizes multiple attributes, no one in the world will be able to stop your sword.”
He looked up at the dark night sky, saying he might even surpass himself.
“That will be difficult.”
Laon firmly shook his head.
“To reach that level, even a lifetime of training may not be enough.”
After reaching transcendence, Glenn’s level seemed even higher. The distance between them felt greater. Having grown, he now understood how high Zighart’s Master was.
“No, you can do it.”
Glenn nodded confidently without hesitation.
“You may even transcend constraints and laws.”
He smiled, saying Laon wouldn’t be bound by cause and effect like himself.
- The King also thinks similarly.
Las nodded in agreement with Inspiration after a long time.
- If you have that ring of confidence, whether it’s the Thunder Sword or the nonsense, you can learn it all.
He muttered that the number of rings of fire had increased to nine and his capacity had grown larger.
- But don’t get complacent! If an opportunity arises, the King will devour your flesh!
“Tomorrow?”
- Not tomorrow, if an opportunity arises, he will snatch it right away!
“Oh, I was planning on having Dragon Skewers tomorrow for dinner, but I guess not.”
Laon said regretfully as he licked his lips.
- Tomorrow is fine. The King seems a bit busy anyway.
“No. No. It’s dangerous, so just eat whatever they give you.”
He shook his head as he said they wouldn’t take it tomorrow or the day after. Las shouted to have Dragon Skewers and eat them. Although he said he was aiming for the body with his words, in his view, he seemed to have already given up.
“I think I understand now. Shall we begin?”
Glenn raised his hand to the hilt of the Jincheon Sword and spoke.
“The name of this swordsmanship is Cheonroegong.”
“Cheonroegong…?”
“It is not just an attribute training method but a martial art that combines swordsmanship like Manhwagong.”
He clenched the hilt as he said he drew inspiration from the Manhwagong he used.
“As I mentioned before, keep in mind the connection with Changgunggeom and observe carefully.”
“Understood.”
“Then let’s begin.”
Glenn drew the Jincheon Sword so slowly that it seemed tedious. With the sword aimed at the ground, he took a short breath.
Whoosh!
In the blink of an eye, Glenn’s sword was already touching the sky, and the clear night sky was now filled with dark clouds.
Crackle!
The eyes of thunder writhed between the dark clouds and were filled with red lightning.
Zing!
As Glenn quietly lowered the Jincheon Sword, the stem of the red lightning that filled the sky turned into a single sword and pierced down.
Kwaaaah!
A sword strike that transcended the concept of speed fell in front of Laon and Glenn, generating a tremendous shockwave. Despite putting strength into his feet, Laon was pushed back.
“This is the tenth initial strike of Cheonroegong.”
Glenn casually brushed his hand holding the Jincheon Sword, calling it the first phase among the twelve sword techniques.
“Ah…”
Laon let out a breath as he looked at the hole left by the sword.
‘Unbelievable speed and power.’
Moments ago, Glenn had compressed the thunder energy in the sky and struck down thinner than a blade.
Despite the powerful shockwave that shook his body, seeing only a small hole, it was evident that Glenn’s control over the thunder energy was overwhelming.
Having witnessed magic and swordsmanship imbued with lightning, Laon felt that this level of power was unmatched. Even using the Divine Barrier of Sword Protection seemed futile.
“H-He is quite skilled.”
Las stammered twice, shaking his head in bewilderment.
“It’s time for Inspiration to leave, but why does he keep getting stronger?”
Seemingly taken aback, Las pressed his dry lips with his tongue.
‘Is it time for him to lose now?”
“What nonsense! He will never lose!”
Las vehemently shook his head, asserting that the Demon King would never be defeated.
“What do you think? Will you learn this?”
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Glenn spread his hands as if to say he would comply with Laon’s wishes.
“If you retreat after witnessing this, you are not fit to be a swordsman.”
Laon exhaled shortly and nodded his head.
“I will try.”
Retreating after witnessing such impressive swordsmanship would disqualify him as a swordsman. Accepting the challenge was only natural.
“That’s a good resolution.”
Glenn’s eyes brimmed with pride as if he had expected this outcome.
“Then let me pass on the principles and initial strikes of Cheonroegong to you.”
Standing in place, he recited all the theories of Cheonroegong in one go.
Laon resonated with the ring of fire, memorizing every word Glenn said without missing a single one.
‘The method of operation doesn’t seem too difficult.’
While Glenn could create more complex methods of swordsmanship, understanding this one was not as challenging. It seemed like it was created specifically to pass on to someone else from the beginning.
“Next is the initial strike.”
After conveying all the principles of Cheonroegong, Glenn stepped forward holding the Jincheon Sword. He demonstrated each of the twelve initial strikes in detail before lowering the sword.
‘It truly resembles the counterpart to Changgunggeom.’
As Glenn had remarked, the initial strikes of Cheonroegong seemed to be paired with those of Changgunggeom.
If it wasn’t a misconception, Glenn seemed to have created Cheonroegong for himself rather than for others.
‘It’s probably true.’
Grandfather wouldn’t need to create more martial arts beyond this point.
The current Glenn could express peak swordsmanship just by wielding it.
It was evident that he had crafted such refined martial arts not for himself but for others.
“You can contain more value in your sword than I can. I look forward to seeing that.”
Glenn instructed Laon to embody all aspects of the Perfect Sword and then sheathed the Jincheon Sword.
“Thank you.”
Laon drew the Jincheon Sword and performed a sword salute.
“I will master Cheonroegong perfectly to be of help to Zigheart.”
“That’s a pleasant thing to say, but I passed it on to you not for Zigheart’s sake, but for yours.”
Glenn approached and grabbed Laon’s shoulder.
“Think a little about yourself.”
He smiled lightly, suggesting that Laon should have a relaxed mind.
“It’s like resting with a sword stuck in you even after death, like your master.”
“Ah…”
Laon chuckled as he stroked the Jincheon Sword.
“Let’s start again then.”
Glenn said he would guide Laon and stepped back.
“I entrust it to you!”
Bowing deeply, Laon drew the Jincheon Sword.
After the night had passed and the late dawn was breaking, Glenn lowered his hand.
“I think this is enough.”
Glenn nodded satisfactorily.
“Now that you have grasped the posture, you should be able to practice on your own.”
“Thank you.”
“I thought I would have to teach you for a few days, but you understood the posture in just one night… It’s unbelievable.”
“It seems like your capacity is expanding.”
Glenn narrowed his eyes, suggesting that Laon could learn other skills besides Cheonroegong.
“It’s all thanks to what my grandfather taught me.”
“Oh, really?”
Glenn’s lips trembled slightly with joy at the mention of grandfather.
“Yes. Understanding both the form and the essence was easy. Thank you for creating it so well, grandfather.”
“Oh!”
Glenn paused for a moment, moved by Laon’s understanding of his intentions.
“Yes. Go rest now. You worked hard all night.”
He waved his hand to hide his emotional expression.
“Thank you!”
Laon said he would come back later and left the training ground.
“Amazing swordsmanship.”
Glenn smiled faintly as he looked at the crackling handle of the sword.
“There is no lack of strength, speed, or accuracy.”
The advantage of Cheonroegong lies in its speed and power typical of swordsmanship using thunder energy. However, the trajectory of swordsmanship goes beyond that and becomes complex.
Even if they were at the same level of transcendence, it seemed difficult to block it after seeing it once.
“To learn such swordsmanship in just one night, it’s unbelievable even for me to think about it.”
Even if it was easy to learn, mastering transcendental swordsmanship in a day was an impossible task.
Even for his former self, it would have taken at least a week to grasp the posture, but as he ascended to 9th rank of the Ring of Injustice, his learning ability had changed drastically.
He didn’t expect even himself to learn Cheonroegong in just one night.
-It seems like a scam no matter how you look at it.
Las shook his head in disbelief.
“That’s true.”
Laon nodded while touching his left chest.
“The expression ‘lucky’ doesn’t even do it justice.”
-Where on earth did he get that damn Ring?
“Well…”
Glancing at Glenn, whose cheeks and ears were turning red at the center of the training ground, Laon let out a small sigh.
“The closer you get to other people,
the more your heart feels itchy.”
Glen considers himself a natural genius, but the secret of his talent lies in the ring of fire. Mastering true swordsmanship and combining multiple attributes without losing speed are all thanks to the ring of fire. To honestly explain this reason, one would ultimately have to bring up past lives, and I’m not sure if I can do that.
“Not doing what is right, but having the desire to do so coexist is amusing.”
As Laon Zigheart, I want to continue living like this, but I also hold a book of conscience that wants to reveal the truth to those who believe in me.
“Whatever happens, maybe at first… seeing Las singing the dragon grilling song, I briefly lost my appetite.”
“He will become that guy.”
For Aris, Las is the closest being. It was right to talk to him first before revealing secrets to others.
“What are you trying to do?”
Las raised his hand as if to say roast meat.
“Enough. You brat.”
Laon turned his head while chuckling.
Laon chatted with Las and headed towards the annex. Perhaps due to practicing overnight before the toxins were fully released, he wanted to lie down on the bed immediately.
As they hurried towards the annex, they heard someone’s breathing from behind Frederick’s mansion.
“That sound, could it be…”
Laon suppressed his presence and headed towards a small garden behind Frederick’s mansion. Concealing their appearance and raising their gaze, they saw Aris running in the garden.
“Heuk! Heuk!”
It seemed like Aris had been running for a while as her forehead and clothes were soaked with sweat.
“I still don’t feel any better.”
Despite her empty stomach and missing muscles, Aris was running through the garden with all her might. A desperate determination could be felt from her stiff expression.
“Has she already woken up?”
Although he had seen her doing push-ups indoors, he didn’t know she had come outside already.
“As expected of Auntie.”
Despite being betrayed by her son whom she desperately sought for years and losing all the power she had accumulated over decades, seeing her get up and run made him truly admire her.
“Indeed, that woman’s spirit is strong.”
Las nodded in admiration.
“You made the right decision.”
“Decision? What do you mean?”
Without directly answering as if telling him to see for himself, Laon stood up.
“La… Laon?”
Aris stopped panting and widened her eyes.
“What’s going on this morning?”
She seemed to be wondering why she had come this far without practicing.
“I’m on my way to learn swordsmanship from Master Gaju.”
“Oh! I heard that you caught a dragon and your father promised to teach you swordsmanship…”
Aris applauded, showing no sign of self-pity even though she had lost all her power. Her humility was evident in her self-praise.
“I also brought a gift for Auntie on my way back from Sapia.”
Laon smiled faintly as he took out a space pocket.
“Will you accept it?”
“Of course. I can even eat mud-made bread given by my nephew!”
Aris reached out both arms, showing that she would accept anything. Although her emotions were not completely sorted out yet, it was clear that she was trying to overcome them.
“Thank you.”
Laon nodded and took out the Dragon Heart shining with rainbow colors from the space pocket.
“A Dragon Heart?”
Aris lowered the hand that was reaching out towards the Dragon Heart as she looked at it.
Aris lowered her hand that was reaching out towards the Dragon Heart.
“Why, why would you give this to me?”
“This is the Dragon Heart of the one we caught recently. I wanted to give it to you, Auntie.” “No!”
Aris shook her pupils as if she didn’t understand.
“I’m just a fool who lost her strength because of her son’s betrayal! You shouldn’t give me something so precious!”
She shook her head, indicating that he should take it back.
“It’s not for anyone else, it’s for you, Auntie.”
Laon grabbed Aris’s wrist as she tried to pull away her arm.
“You helped me even when I was of no use. You also casually gave me the Dragon Heart we obtained after capturing Kaibar. I’m giving this to you because I learned from you, Auntie.”
Aris never expected anything in return, she just helped herself.
She took out the Dragon Heart, hoping that it would alleviate Aris’s pain even a little bit.
“Auntie looks best when she’s confident. Please rise.”
Laon smiled as he placed the Dragon Heart in Aris’s hand.
“You also have to take revenge on Delus, and keep the promise you made with Marta.”
He bowed his head, asking her to return as Pirate Queen Aris Zigheart.
Aris looked at the Dragon Heart in her hand with a firm grasp. Tears began to well up in her eyes.
“I hope to meet you in your original confident self next time.”
“Thank you.”
Aris said in a trembling voice as she bowed deeply.
“No need.”
Laon lightly waved his hand and turned around.
“Thank you.”
As he was about to leave the garden, Lavawin, who had been hiding in the doorway, bowed to him.
“No need. Thank you for watching over Auntie.”
Laon thanked Lavawin and headed back to the annex.
-That crazy woman who gives Lizard Hearts was insane.
Las nodded in understanding.
“She helped me a lot.”
-Enough! There’s even a demon who gave me more than enough help!
He shook his fist as if asking for more.
“What do you want?”
“Heuk! Isn’t it a bit much for the King to say that?”
“Mud bread?”
-This guy is crazy!
Las shook his head in disbelief.
“Then what?”
-You know everything!
“Do you have any idea how clueless you are?”
-Just go away! Why are you even alive?
“You keep saving me every time.”
Laon teased Las, laughing, when they felt someone approaching from behind using magic.
“Master of the Tempest!”
They turned around to see Chad, waving a white envelope as he ran towards them.
“Chad?”
“This is a letter for you from the Grand Master!”
Chad panted as he handed over the letter.
“We were supposed to meet yesterday, but I was busy…”
“Oh, it’s fine.”
Laon received the letter Chad handed over with a faint smile.
“Borgos?”
Laon’s eyes widened as he looked at the name written on the letter. It was a letter from the dwarf artisan Borgos, whom Sterin had mentioned would pass on the message.
“Surprisingly quick response.”
Sterin had mentioned that the response could be delayed, but seeing the letter arrive shortly after reaching Zigheart, it was the opposite.
“Are they viewing it positively?”
Since dragon bones, teeth, and scales are materials that even artisans cannot easily handle, Laon thought it would be possible enough and opened the letter.
“…Huh?”
However, as soon as Laon read the single line written in the letter, his red eyes trembled.
“Help?”
