The Swordmaster Wants To Live Peacefully [EN]: Chapter 60

Swordmaster Wants to Live in Peace – Episode 60

Swordmaster Wants to Live in Peace Episode 60

Iron Mountain (5)

“Ugh, the spiders! There are too many spiders! Too many spiders! You son of a…”

He jumped up!

Hong Seo-hwa shot up, sputtering curses.

She’d had a nightmare.

A dream where countless spiders swarmed her, gnawing at her flesh.

“If you’re awake, help out here!”

A familiar voice snapped her back to reality.

Hong Seo-hwa blinked, her senses returning. “Shit, it wasn’t a dream…”

She was, in fact, with Yoo Ji-woo, Baek Woo-hyun, and even Yuwol and Knox.

The five of them were inside a special-grade Abyss [a high-level dungeon].

Yoo Seong-woo had stated he had no intention of taking down the Queen Spider of the special-grade Abyss anytime soon.

Why kill the goose that lays the golden eggs, continuously producing powerful enemies to fight?

It was his way of saying he would use the special-grade Abyss, which others desperately tried to escape, as a training ground.

Just another idea from a man with a unique way of thinking.

Yuwol had volunteered to come, and Knox, bored on the weekend, had tagged along, only to regret it. That was why they were here.

Even though he was a child, he was still a dragon.

Moreover, in terms of the years he had lived, he was older than anyone else present.

“Hurry up and help!” Yoo Ji-woo yelled, unleashing a spell.

Hong Seo-hwa finally scrambled to her feet, grabbed her sword, and leaped into the fray.

They were currently holding back the countless spiders swarming from the large passage they had entered through.

The spiders surged forward, making bizarre clicking noises.

The sheer number of spiders pouring from the floor, ceiling, and walls easily exceeded a hundred at first glance.

The Queen Spider, feeling threatened by Yoo Seong-woo’s presence, had increased her egg-laying speed.

“Well done, well done. Very well done.”

Yoo Seong-woo, wearing a gas mask, applauded the struggling group.

“Knox, move further back. What are you going to do up front when you can’t even swing a sword properly?”

“Yes, yes!”

“Yes, that’s a good spot. Swing slowly, don’t rush.”

He even offered casual advice.

Thanks to that, the skills of the five were improving rapidly, but it was definitely an extreme situation.

Breathing was difficult because of the gas mask, and visibility was limited due to the lack of light.

If they didn’t think carefully and move deliberately, even their comrades would get caught in the crossfire.

Due to these conditions, the people in the passage were under so much real-time stress that they were on the verge of losing their minds.

But at the same time, it was also perfect for sharpening their senses.

It was said that humans grow the most when in danger.

Yoo Seong-woo was putting that into practice.

“The weather is nice, the sound of metal is nice. It’s a perfect day for a picnic.”

Having said that, Yoo Seong-woo actually spread out a mat, took out a sandwich from the basket he was holding, and began to munch on it.

While the others were fighting in the front, splattering blood, he was leisurely enjoying his picnic in the back.

He even showed off the advanced technique of creating an energy barrier around himself to prevent metal fragments from touching him.

“Don’t turn your head this way. Look ahead.”

The lettuce was still crisp.

The tomato and ham were in perfect harmony.

The mayonnaise and sriracha sauce provided a slightly spicy yet smooth taste.

The handmade sandwich that Yuwol had made herself was so delicious that it was too good to share.

So Yoo Seong-woo ate the whole sandwich by himself.

Perhaps because it was a meal enjoyed while others were fighting, it felt particularly delicious.

‘…Is it almost time?’

After the S-class hunters had taken turns fainting several times, and he could see with his own eyes that they were starting to get tired, he felt it was time to retreat.

Yoo Seong-woo got up from his seat, packed up his mat and basket, and took out Ilsaeng [his sword].

Then, he infused it with sword energy and swung it, creating a sword membrane between the people and the spiders to separate them.

The spiders rushed to break through the barrier of sword energy, but they were blocked without a gap by the sword membrane, and they could no longer approach.

Yoo Seong-woo, who had sheathed Ilsaeng, said, “Let’s go back now.”

* * *

“I feel like I’m going to throw up…”

“It gets better once you do it.”

Yoo Seong-woo was pleased to see the reactions of those who had entered and exited the special-grade Abyss.

Indeed, wasn’t this what training was all about?

Swinging a sword a few times a day doesn’t count as training.

Vomit and passion blooming in real combat, blood and sweat….

That’s how he thought of training, at least.

“But there doesn’t seem to be anyone who has Ascended [reached a higher level of power] in the special-grade Abyss.”

I thought I’d run into one or two if I wandered around since it’s so wide.

Unfortunately, that didn’t happen.

I thought I could take out the third sword if I took down a few more.

‘…Well, they said they’d come looking for me on their own, so I don’t need to go looking for them.’

Yoo Seong-woo recalled the words that the Cheonsin [a divine being] of the Five Colors Shamanic Association had said.

The Ascended would come looking for him on their own, so there was no need to go looking for them himself.

Yoo Seong-woo had thought about the meaning of those words for a long time, and after recalling the events of meeting Maynard and Jeron, he came to a conclusion.

This was a story about ‘fate’.

In other words, it was also called karma.

Even the Ascended he had met so far were all related to him.

‘…But this is a bit troublesome.’

If all the people he had killed appeared as Ascended, he wouldn’t be able to handle the numbers.

There were too many people he had killed.

But he had never regretted it because they were people he had to kill, but now he was starting to regret it a little.

‘I should have killed them moderately.’

But even if he went back to the past, it’s not like he wouldn’t kill them.

Anyway, Yoo Seong-woo, who thought that he had to carry all the karma, looked at the people who were still throwing up.

“Why are you still so weak? Replenish your supplies and we’ll do another round. Anyone who wants to drop out can drop out.”

“I, I can drop out.”

“You’re a kid, so okay.”

“What about me?”

“You’re an adult. Set an example. Um, no, we need someone to watch the kid. You stay.”

“Thank you!”

Yuwol and Knox were excluded.

The remaining three S-class hunters reorganized their supplies and entered the special-grade Abyss again.

After repeating the process of running, resting, running, and resting like interval training for about two rounds, they were now in a state where they couldn’t even move a finger.

Yoo Seong-woo carried the three of them like luggage to the hotel and threw them on the bed.

“When are you going to be strong enough to do your part like this….”

At least they should be able to handle one Ascended per person.

It seems like I’ll have to roll them around quite a bit until that happens….

While waiting for the three of them to wake up, Yoo Seong-woo received a call.

He took out his ringing smartphone and checked it, and it was from Seo Yeon-jung.

“What is it?”

There was nothing in particular that Seo Yeon-jung would contact him about.

If it was a company matter or an important call, she would contact Yoo Ji-woo.

He frowned as he checked the text message that had arrived on his smartphone.

“Someone came to see me?”

What is this about?

It seemed like he had to stop here and return to Sehyun City.

* * *

“Someone came to see me?”

“Yes. They specifically asked to meet Yoo Seong-woo.”

“Who is it?”

If they specified him, that means they know him.

But there was no one like that in Yoo Seong-woo’s memory.

As he frowned, Seo Yeon-jung continued, “It’s an elf.”

“An elf?”

“Yes.”

Yuwol had said that now that they had reclaimed the land of the Towol tribe, there was a high possibility that other alien races who noticed this would approach them.

He didn’t know how they found out, but the first to approach was an elf.

‘…It wouldn’t hurt to meet them.’

If there really is such a thing as fate, and if there is such a thing as karma, it would be something he had to endure.

“Make an appointment. The schedule doesn’t matter.”

“Understood.”

Seo Yeon-jung felt like she had become Yoo Seong-woo’s secretary, but she worked diligently because her salary had also increased.

And a few days later, Yoo Seong-woo had a meeting with the elf.

The elves they met at a quiet private cafe looked modern.

The pointed ears, which were a characteristic of elves, were covered with magic, and they dressed well like the kids these days.

If you just passed by them, they would look like Western foreigners.

Of course, their features were so outstanding that they would attract attention at a glance.

‘As expected, are they a race loved by God?’

The Towol tribe was like that too.

The elves were even more so.

Even if they covered their faces, there was an aura that emanated from them.

Yoo Seong-woo sat there with a frown on his face, feeling uncomfortable, and the two elves on the opposite side hardened their expressions.

“What, man.”

As Yoo Seong-woo spat out the words, the elf who appeared to be a man jumped up from his seat, but then sat down again.

What was he trying to do?

“You were looking for me?”

“…Are you really the one who reclaimed the land of the Towol tribe?”

“What if I am?”

“…We came here to make you an offer. Please, cooperate with us in reclaiming the land of the Great Mother.”

Yoo Seong-woo realized what the farce he had just seen was about at the elf’s words.

The elf race is precious.

On Earth, they are known as a rare and outstanding race through fantasy novels, so they would have been treated well wherever they went.

The race itself also has a high sense of pride.

That’s why their attitude itself was wrong.

From the way they asked for cooperation, not begging for help.

“It’s not that I particularly dislike it, but do you know that it’s a damn annoying thing to do?”

“Does that mean you want compensation?”

“That’s right.”

“The honor of helping the Great Mother alone will be a great reward for you. I’m sure you understand how great that achievement is.”

At the elf’s words, Yoo Seong-woo sucked up the yogurt smoothie in front of him with a straw.

As he stared at them with eyes that seemed to say, ‘Let’s see how far you’ll go,’ the elf continued.

“It would be better to abandon greed. The great greed of the human race has always caused disaster.”

“Hmm, is that so? Then it would be better not to help. Does the elf race have so few talented people? Putting a bastard like this at the negotiating table.”

“Wh, what did you just say!”

Yoo Seong-woo sucked up the yogurt smoothie to the end and got up from his seat.

There was no reason to sit there anymore.

“Bring back someone who is sane. If you bring someone like this again, I won’t meet you again.”

“You better sit down! Human!”

“I originally had some prejudice against elves, but it’s gotten stronger now. These pointy-eared bastards… There’s nothing different here or there.”

If I cut off those protruding ears, would their high self-esteem be broken?

Yoo Seong-woo, who sincerely thought so, pondered for a moment.

But he soon realized that it was a futile act, and as he was about to leave the room, the elf who had been silent all along opened his mouth.

“I apologize for my subordinate’s rudeness. Please talk to me again. Savior… No, Yoo Seong-woo.”

“You’ve been silent all along, and now you’re talking?”

“…I’m sorry. I had to determine the truth, so I committed a rudeness.”

“Princess! How can you talk to such a rude person?”

“You get out. I’ll punish you later for not listening to me and talking on your own without being polite.”

“Princess!”

“And I told you not to call me Princess. Get out now.”

At her stern words, the male elf bit his lip tightly and got up from his seat.

Then, he glared at Yoo Seong-woo and left the room.

“…Please sit down. I have the full authority of the elf race and came to this place. It’s a matter of our race’s destiny.”

“The princess of the elf race is taking the lead herself. No, she has to. The Towol tribe had the high priest come in person.”

Now the negotiating table was set.

Even if all of the previous scene was a performance created by the elves, the initiative was on this side.

Yoo Seong-woo sat down again and opened his mouth. “Then let’s hear what the elf can give.”