Weapon-Eating Bastard [EN]: Chapter 285

Hearing that Lee Hyang-seon, the ancestor, was the architect of Sungmu Lee Ga, he was given the title Muwang (武王) [Martial King, a title signifying great martial prowess], which felt more fitting than a title based solely on lineage.

The reason is simple.

His achievements in building Sungmu Lee Ga were as impressive as his martial arts skills.

Suaaaak…!

Mujin Style 1, Cheokma.

The ancestor lightly deflected my unexpected strike using the 11th Reverse Flow of his profound skill.

He neutralized the power of the Black Lotus with Beoncheon [a secret technique], and scattered the Lightning Drop with Meteor.

The essence of the main family’s techniques was unfolding from the ancestor’s hands.

He executed the best move for every situation.

I could glimpse the realm of swordsmanship (劍道) [Kendo, the art of the sword] that the ancestor had reached just from that.

‘He’s detonating his aura without hesitation even in this narrow space. Yet, he’s controlling every bit of power with incredible precision.’

Tueoong!

Even while emitting sword energy, he released only the exact amount needed.

Because he perfectly controlled his energy, his movements were also fluid and unrestrained.

The ancestor moved with each finger movement, selecting only the optimal method.

Kagak!

At that moment, the ancestor deflected my extended sword with the flat of his blade and immediately struck down towards the handguard.

I managed to twist my hand and dodge.

I dropped the sword and quickly tried to create a new weapon, but…

Deudeudeuk!

Due to the narrow space, the weapon got caught on the wall, slowing down my movement slightly.

Taking advantage of that moment, a sword light flashed.

A strike aimed at my front, at my torso.

I couldn’t avoid it.

“Keuk!”

Kwaang!

I was thrown back and crashed into the wall of the mausoleum.

Brushing off the dust falling like rain, a bundle of sharp sword energy rushed in right in front of my face.

I hurriedly rolled to the side and dodged the attack.

The fragments of the shattered wall scattered and struck my body like a shotgun blast.

Tueong!

Without giving me a moment’s respite, the ancestor rushed in again, piercing through the scattering debris.

Tueong! Kwadeuk! Kagagagak!

It was another close-quarters combat.

The swords collided, sparks flew, and shockwaves cracked the walls.

“You’re enduring this as well. This illusion is quite persistent,” the ancestor’s somber voice echoed through the mausoleum.

Even amidst the chaos, the sword blades collided, emitting a sharp, grating noise.

Clearly, I was superior in strength.

That was true in terms of physical attributes and magic manipulation.

Even as the swords clashed, I was clearly pushing him back.

But…

‘The power, it’s shifting…!’

I felt the direction of the force subtly twisting.

In a situation where the handguards were touching.

The ancestor’s magic created a strong attraction, pulling me in, and then slightly tilted the sword blade, trying to deflect the direction of my power to the side.

He was drawing on and using my own power against me.

A very basic form of jujutsu [a Japanese martial art that focuses on using an opponent’s force against them] that utilizes the opponent’s strength.

But how many people could use it during such close combat?

Tadak!

I quickly stretched my front foot a little further to regain my balance.

If my center of gravity collapsed like this, it was over.

This time, I pulled the sword.

The ancestor’s sword was pulled in by magic, and pushing and pulling were repeated with the swords touching.

There was no exchange of fierce sword strikes or radiant auras.

There was only a battle of very subtle magic manipulation and the sensation of exchanging strength.

And I was confident in such a fight.

‘I have the Magic Eye!’

In a fight of jujutsu that sought to find the balance of power, I was confident that I would never be pushed back.

Tueong! Kwang!

However, the next moment, as soon as the ancestor felt his balance collapsing, he let go of the sword without hesitation.

Lee Hyang-seon retreated quickly.

I couldn’t help but click my tongue.

‘…He sensed it in that fleeting moment.’

The ancestor’s movements were technically perfect. I couldn’t find any flaws.

This may sound strange, but the word ‘artistic’ even flashed through my mind.

I thought that was the same for me.

But I felt lacking.

The ancestor didn’t have the Magic Eye, but he sensed even that fleeting distortion.

‘Strength, magic, and even the uniqueness of power, including the Magic Eye, are clearly superior, but…’

Lee Hyang-seon’s technique was in a completely different realm.

The number of moves, the unconventional or orthodox sword fighting, the response methods in jujutsu or close combat.

…He’s one step ahead of me.

Martial King [武王].

I stood tall with ease, looking at the ancestor with his sword drooping, and clearly felt the weight of that title.

* * *

The dwarves of the aerial fortress were gathered around the second dwarf, ignoring the crystal ball.

“Are you okay? Are you okay?”

The second dwarf was drooping and trembling.

Even his yellow eyes were repeatedly getting bigger and smaller, and his robe flared up greatly as if he was having a seizure.

“I saw it. That guy, that guy. He’s not dead. He was still alive.”

The dwarf muttered and spat out the words.

At those words, the other dwarves seemed shocked and paused.

“But you would have seen the other guy. Why?”

“He told me to show it. Only up to the permitted part. If I do more than that, he said he would break it.”

“He has descended (降生) [a term indicating a divine being taking mortal form]. That guy. He has incarnated (受肉) [another term for incarnation]. Oh, eu, eo….”

Descent, incarnation.

Both were words meaning that he had obtained a body and descended.

Everyone was speechless at the dwarf’s words.

They had expressions that they couldn’t believe it.

“I almost got cut. By that guy. That guy only cared about the one who came back from the dead. Fortunately, I had to run away.”

The second dwarf muttered and spoke, and the other dwarves let out gloomy voices.

“We’ve given the monster our teeth. We have.”

“It couldn’t be helped.”

“But how? Why only to the one who came back from the dead?”

They looked at the crystal ball.

The third dwarf was the only one with his hand on the crystal ball, looking beyond it.

Inside, Lee Chul’s figure, fighting with Lee Hyang-seon, was visible.

“It’s still dangerous. The one who came back from the dead. In the end, his unique causality is attracting it. Even us.”

“It seems like he’s aiming for it. He is the one who came back from the dead.”

“But it’s already over. We’re just watching.”

“And….”

One dwarf looked at the crystal ball.

“Anyway, with his power, he can’t win. That guy.”

“Let that singularity stop the one who came back from the dead.”

Mu Wang Lee Hyang-seon’s sword was facing Lee Chul.

* * *

I narrowed my eyes and looked around.

The ancestor’s mausoleum was definitely a wide space, unlike other mausoleums, because it had to contain things for sealing.

But even so, it was too cramped to fight.

‘It’s disadvantageous to me. On the contrary, the ancestor is taking advantage of the geographical advantages without any problems.’

I felt the gap even in that aspect.

My weapons, including Cheonra, tend to exert their power mainly when a certain amount of space is secured.

That’s not to say that I’m not confident in close combat, but this was my first full-fledged battle in such a confined and narrow space.

Moreover, the opponent I was facing was not some random person, but the 2nd Generation Ancestor. I couldn’t let my guard down.

Tang! Geugeugeuk!

Again, the sword light flashed, and the sword blade, which I thought was far away, aimed at the vital point of the left torso.

I managed to block it, but the aura bounced off, causing damage.

The ancestor’s sword never touched the wall even once.

That’s because he perfectly recognized the space and perfectly recognized my level that he was facing.

Tuoong!

The ancestor deflected my sword, then spun his body around and swung the sword horizontally.

A powerful strike that made my ears numb just from the wind pressure.

Kwarung!

I launched several Cheonra weapons to block the ancestor’s advance.

The dark mausoleum was momentarily illuminated by the flames of aura that flared up.

But.

Jjeoeong!

With a sound like metal bursting, the weapon’s defenses were completely blown away, and the ancestor’s sword pushed in.

‘Keuk!’

I immediately rotated my waist halfway and evaded, but the end of the sword strike grazed Eunhan, and the hem of my clothes burst open with an unpleasant sizzling noise!

Seukak! Kwang!

The moment the swords touched, it was jujutsu again.

No, the moment the balance of power was about to collapse, he created distance and poured out all sorts of techniques again.

I had to admit it.

It was difficult to narrow the gap when competing with the depth of martial arts.

‘Then…!’

I threw a few weapons that I had floated with Cheonra as sacrifices to the ancestor.

The ancestor frowned and deflected them.

But that gave me a moment of respite.

Wiiing!

I created Gyeongcheon in the air as it was.

As soon as I slammed the spear into the ground, a huge amount of magic surged around me and began to supply me.

‘I have to admit what I have to admit.’

The ancestor is strong.

It was by no means easy to deal with me carrying a handicap in this place.

‘But.’

If there’s a weakness, all I have to do is cover it with a strength that can offset it!

If I’m ahead in strength, all I have to do is wield even greater strength.

I took a leap into the ancestor’s realm, which seemed impossible to narrow.

Kwaaaaang!

In an instant, the space was submerged in light, and countless premonitions filled my mind.

I had only approached one step, but the Magic Eye and intuition were sending warnings like crazy.

‘I can’t avoid them all.’

I can’t block it either.

Of course, if I retreated as it was, there would be no damage, but if I did, I would be back to square one.

I didn’t back down.

The battle with the ancestor could never be won in a normal way.

I had to create variables, use unconventional methods, and gamble.

‘I believe in Eunhan and my body!’

Kwaaaaang!

The sword light that filled the front struck my whole body.

I endured the weak restraining blows with my body and defended only the sword energies aimed at vital points using Cheonra’s weapons.

Chwajajajak!

Eunhan was torn to shreds. Blood and flesh splattered along the fragments.

It was painful, but there were no injuries that would restrict movement.

Now, one more step forward.

Kkumteul!

The ancestor’s eyes narrowed.

This time, sword strikes that were even difficult to follow with my eyes poured out.

It was the same as before.

I detonated my aura and deflected it, enduring what I had to endure and defending what I had to defend.

“….”

The ancestor’s eyes finally widened a little.

A close distance where I could reach if I exhaled.

I succeeded in narrowing the distance to this extent, enduring the injuries.

Seugaaaaak!

I could see the ancestor’s sword approaching, cutting through the wind.

I had no intention of attaching the sword again and entering a jujutsu battle.

I raised the sword high.

Supporting my body with my front foot extended towards the ground as if to slam it down, I put all my weight on it and struck the sword down as it was.

Kwaaaaang!

The ancestor scraped the ground and retreated to the rear.

His long hair was cut off and scattered in the air, and the shockwave stirred up the walls and the ground.

‘It was shallow.’

I spat out the blood pooling in my mouth and clenched my fist tightly.

In that fleeting moment, the ancestor used the 1st Secret Technique, Beoncheon, to deflect the force.

Thanks to that, only the hair and the barrier of aura protecting the ancestor’s body were cut off.

“This illusion is… somewhat strange….”

Lee Hyang-seon said that, feeling the pain in his tingling wrist.

“I am not an illusion.”

“You are a cunning demon. You always said that. I will not be deceived….”

“…I will drag you out of that madness.”

“I have already heard that as well….”

Lee Hyang-seon felt fatigue, but he stood up again and took a stance.

That young man, no, that illusion… no matter how I looked at it, it was strange.

Clearly, he was hit head-on by the attack, but he endured it with his body without changing his expression.

Besides, his neck should have been cut off a long time ago, but instead, he counterattacked.

‘I have never seen such a person….’

For a long time that I don’t know how long, Lee Hyang-seon was enduring this huge black energy.

In the process, how many illusions have I faced?

Basically, what the black energy shows is what is in his memories and experiences.

Sometimes some elements were combined, and some elements disappeared, but the illusion was created unconditionally based on his memory.

But the young man wielding the sword in front of me, I can say with certainty that I have never faced even a similar being.

A bizarre and powerful technique that uses dozens of weapons floating in the sky.

That long spear that draws all the power of the sixty-four trigrams of nature and supplies it to the young man.

In addition to the overwhelming amount of magic that can handle it, even magic manipulation that I have never seen before.

‘Even the uniqueness of the body that receives the blows that would clearly cut off the limbs in one blow without any fuss….’

Can there be someone who uses such unconventional movements and special weapons?

‘It’s bizarre.’

Lee Hyang-seon narrowed his eyes.

Again, that’s definitely an illusion.

Then that means I’ve seen it before, but if he’s such a strong person, there’s no way he wouldn’t be in my memory.

How much erosion has progressed?

‘…It doesn’t matter. I will never be defeated by an illusion.’

Lee Hyang-seon strengthened his heart.

At that moment, Lee Hyang-seon felt his vision turn slightly black.

-Kill him.

-Devour him.

-Why are you rotting here when you have achieved great achievements?

…It’s the whisper of black energy.

To hear this sound when I’m exhausted….

Kwaang!

At that moment, another spear rushed right in front of my nose.

“Focus on the battle. Ancestor.”

“Presumptuous….”

Lee Hyang-seon felt anger at those words and deflected the spear.

The young man’s movements have reached a truly amazing level.

He was as sharp as an awl when he pierced through the gaps, and he was as unstoppable as a beast when he pushed with force.

He makes countless forces dwell in the weapons flying in the sky, and they provide variables close to infinity.

Originally, those who fight in this kind of unconventional way have a light center, but this guy’s foundation was also solid.

Lee Hyang-seon felt a strange emotion rising from deep within his heart.

‘Clearly, there are still many shortcomings.’

This young man has reached a high level, but the unrefined aspects are visible.

That’s true even if you look at the position of his feet or the movement of his upper body. If he had gone half an inch further inside, the balance would have come alive.

It feels like the technology can’t keep up with the performance of the body.

Just looking at how bizarrely narrow the gap between the two is, I could guess how much bloody training he had done.

And, therefore.

Lee Hyang-seon saw something in Lee Chul that was infinitely close to the ideal of martial arts (武道) [Budō, a Japanese term for martial ways, implying a philosophical dimension] that he had dreamed of.

Kwaaaaang!

Another clash.

The shockwave scattered, and the entire mausoleum vibrated.

My power collided head-on with the ancestor’s power.

I flashed my eyes and examined the ancestor’s pupils.

‘The speed of black energy’s erosion decreases significantly when you are focused on battle.’

One strike.

Even just one strike is fine.

If I can land a strike on the ancestor, I can push in the power of Choi Ga and purify it.

“Let’s end this now. You cunning thing.”

The ancestor said that and detonated his aura.

In an instant, an enormous presence began to fill the space.

Simgeom [Mind Sword].

However, I couldn’t even guess the identity of the Simgeom deep inside.

‘It’s coming…!’

There was no choice but to unfold Simgeom as well.

But can I really face the ancestor’s Simgeom with the intangible?

My Simgeom, the intangible, starts from accurately recognizing the opponent’s Simgeom.

But the ancestor’s Simgeom could not be read at all.

Eudeuk!

I gritted my teeth and placed my hand on Eunhan’s jeogori [a type of traditional Korean jacket].

Anyway, I had to stop it now.

Therefore, there was only one thing I could do.

Seureureung!

The black longsword that annihilates all magic.

Black Night was drawn.

“Th, that’s…!”

The ancestor had an expression of shock.

The Magic Eye captured the momentary hesitation.

‘A gap!’

I flashed my eyes.

I kicked off the ground.

The ancestor belatedly swung his sword.

Energy and energy intertwined in the air.

But.

‘My sword is faster!’

Kwaaaaang!

The next moment, the world was submerged in the explosion of aura.