Weapon-Eating Bastard [EN]: Chapter 248

Weapon-Eating Bastard – Chapter 248

The secret manual my father left me, the Mind Sword Art.

The moment I opened it, I read over half of it without realizing it, but I had to skip over many parts of what I read without fully understanding them.

Because the secret manual was written in a straightforward way, there was no problem in deciphering it, but understanding and internalizing it was another matter entirely.

It’s akin to a college graduate looking at a doctoral thesis.

I can understand and interpret it to some extent, but the question is whether I can completely make it my own.

I needed to study the various terms, concepts, and even the structure of the Mind Sword Art for days and nights while reading it.

And I wanted to go through that process with my first brother [older brother].

Of course, what I unfolded was not a thesis, but a secret manual.

Instead of holding a pen and notebook, I ended up facing each other with drawn swords.

“Haha, so you wanted me to set aside time for a sparring match.”

“It’s been a while, hasn’t it? It’s the first time since I came back from Musaeng [a place or period of training/cultivation].”

“It’s already been a few years since then.”

My first brother smiled, as if recalling the times we had crossed swords.

Now I’m in my late 20s, and my first brother is in his mid-40s.

However, I’ve never really had a proper sparring match with my first brother.

Because my martial prowess was lacking, my first brother always held back.

“I’ve been looking forward to it too. The day I can properly cross swords with you.”

Kiiiiing!

With clean movements, my first brother drew his sword from its sheath.

One of the many famous swords my first brother uses, the demon-class equipment Bloodless, announced its unique name.

“Are you using Bloodless?”

“Until a few years ago, I could control my strength, but that’s not the case anymore, is it? I have to give it my all to some extent.”

Bloodless.

A demonic sword that crazily sucks the wielder’s magic power [mana or spiritual energy].

A weapon that, if it runs out of magic power, eventually plunders the user’s life force.

However, in exchange for that magic power, it is also a weapon that exerts destructive power surpassing two or three heavenly-grade weapons.

‘……I need to be on my guard.’

Bloodless is a demonic sword that can put an ordinary 5th or 6th grade warrior into a near-death state just by holding it.

But my first brother is different.

Vast magic power from a special ability, tremendous control, and a heavenly physique that can easily handle the draining magic power.

It is said that my first brother has never lost after drawing Bloodless.

“Hoo.”

I took a short breath and raised my head.

“Aren’t you going to draw your weapon?”

“I already have.”

Belatedly.

Lee Myung-jeong discovered several weapons dyed black that had begun to reveal their presence from behind.

‘This is?’

Lee Myung-jeong jumped back immediately, but Lee Cheol rushed in with a surprise attack, taking advantage of that momentary gap.

“A surprise attack! You cowardly bastard!”

Kwaaaang!

Sword and sword collided.

As they entered a hilt-to-hilt fight, Lee Cheol grinned.

“You weren’t even flustered, so what’s with the surprise attack!”

Kwaaaang!

Subsequently, an explosion followed.

After a long time, I was finally able to wield a sword in the same arena as my first brother.

* * *

Rank 2 Warrior, Quasi Rank 2 Mage.

This is the level my first brother has reached.

He has achieved such an absurd level in the two fields of magic and martial arts, where it takes a lifetime to master just one.

The world’s evaluation is that he is a comprehensive Rank 2, but in my opinion, Rank 2 was an understatement.

‘He’s on par with Saintess Christina.’

I felt a sense of pressure equivalent to a Rank 1 warrior while blocking my first brother’s sword.

That was the case even when only considering his level as a martial artist.

Kwang! Kwadeuk!

My first brother’s and my sword strikes went back and forth at close range.

I thought I had deflected the sword, but at some point, the tip of the sword grazed right in front of my nose.

If I thought I had dodged, it was actually a sword strike I had to block.

Fast, heavy, and diverse.

But unlike before, I wasn’t flustered even while facing those countless sword strikes.

I have also grown.

This was a sparring match and, at the same time, a moment to prove myself to my first brother.

Meanwhile, Lee Myung-jeong was also feeling it.

‘He’s really gotten stronger. To the point where I feel bad for judging him like this and that.’

Lee Myung-jeong felt a fresh emotion as he looked at Lee Cheol, who was on par with him.

That little guy who didn’t even reach his waist when he was young.

The guy who learned the basics of Soongmoo Lee’s family martial arts from him.

The guy who took the test after finishing Musaeng.

He has now grown to this point.

Kwaaaaaang!

Lee Myung-jeong added strength to the hand holding Bloodless and struck down.

A roar echoed.

Lee Myung-jeong’s blue aura and Lee Cheol’s black aura intertwined, creating a bluish-black flame.

Brushing off the aftermath of the aura, Lee Myung-jeong’s eyes shone.

‘While advocating for unconventionality, it’s ultimately the epitome of rationality.’

Clang! Kwaaaang

Since the start of the battle, Lee Myung-jeong’s movements have been almost perfectly in sync with his youngest brother, Lee Cheol.

To a third party, it would seem like a rehearsed performance, not a sparring match.

Each other’s strikes were wielded with a gap as thin as a piece of paper, and evasion and defense continued non-stop.

A sparring match that might seem boring at first glance.

……But that’s usually what a fight between people who have reached a high level is like.

Martial arts are ultimately a fight for efficiency and rationality.

From this stance to that movement, from that movement to this movement.

Continuously building up efficiency and rationality in their own way is what martial arts is all about.

In that sense, those who have opened the door [achieved enlightenment or mastery] are like a collection of efficiency and rationality.

Even if their methods are different, the world they see is bound to become similar.

That’s why the movements become more and more similar, as if they were rehearsed.

The fact that his and Lee Cheol’s movements were in sync was, in itself, proof of Lee Cheol’s level.

‘It’s fun.’

Lee Myung-jeong smiled as if he was enjoying it.

Lee Myung-jeong hadn’t fought so enjoyably in years.

Because he was too strong.

Most missions would become trivial just by the fact that he had participated.

At least recently, there was a battle with Lee Gun-seong, but that was closer to a political maneuver involving interests and gains and losses, and the battle also ended blandly.

In comparison, now is a moment purely for competing each other’s martial power.

He can’t help but be excited.

“Well, this won’t end like this. Shall we change things up?”

Lee Myung-jeong said that and took a step forward, breaking the synchronized rhythm.

Kiaaaak!

Bloodless spat out a strange sword cry and was swung from the side.

“……!”

All the weapons floating in the air were swept away by that strike, and my aura was instantly dispelled.

The power of Bloodless.

A demonic sword that gives tremendous power in exchange for consuming tremendous amounts of magic power!

“Keuk!”

I quickly turned my head and succeeded in dodging, but a few strands of hair flew into the air.

Immediately after, my first brother’s attack continued, taking advantage of the broken balance.

He strode forward as if predicting that I would dodge and swung his sword.

Whack! Kwang! Koong!

And what followed was not just sword strikes.

“Be careful.”

The moment I greatly rotated and launched several weapons to block Bloodless, I saw several large magic circles activating in the air.

‘Magic!’

That’s right.

My first brother had reached a high level as a warrior, but he was also a mage at the same time.

He had never used magic while fighting me, but now he was even taking out the power of magic.

Jjeoooooooong!

Lightning struck down, splitting the air.

The ears became faint from the deafening roar, and the front of the eyes momentarily turned white from the flashing light.

‘I blocked the shock with Gyeongcheon [a specific technique or item]. No problem. But…….’

Just before the magic arrived, I created the effect of a lightning rod by planting Gyeongcheon, which has the same lightning properties, into the ground.

The problem is that the senses are blocked.

First, taking advantage of the gap where the vision is blocked by lightning……

Tuwhack!

However, my first brother pushed in, swinging his sword as if he wouldn’t wait for me to recover.

Sight and hearing restricted.

Moreover, magic is constantly erupting.

Tuh-ung! Kwaaaang!

Flame, lightning, storm…….

Even while colliding and deflecting the weapons with those conflicting powers, I naturally felt the weight of the name Ssangseong [likely a title or recognition of his brother’s dual talent].

‘He’s strong. Really, overwhelmingly so.’

It’s not just that he uses magic at long range.

He doesn’t just wield a sword at close range.

While wielding techniques close to secret arts and profound mysteries, in addition to making me lose my sense of perspective, high-level magic was erupting like crazy.

My first brother’s figure, walking while wrapped in numerous magic and auras, was no different from the heroes in myths.

“Isn’t it quite difficult to deal with magic and swords at the same time?”

Hwaak!

My first brother said leisurely and rushed in again.

The blue sword of Bloodless flashed brightly towards the waist that had been opened wide for evasion and defense.

Left, waist.

No, he’s going to raise it like this and aim for the armpit.

It was difficult to block and too fast to dodge.

‘Then I’ll counterattack!’

Pung! Teodeodeong!

Immediately after, I released several weapons that had been waiting in the rear behind my first brother’s back.

“Hmm, it’s still not easy to break through.”

Brushing away the rising mist, my first brother walked out leisurely.

Still standing upright, without even the slightest scratch.

“For someone who’s regretting it, you don’t seem to care at all?”

“I got hit by your weapon and my back is aching all over.”

“My ears are still ringing.”

If my first brother had magic, I had numerous weapons.

It was possible to respond to some extent just by creating and combining weapons that took the opposite properties of my first brother’s magic and wielding them.

‘Even while unleashing Bloodless and magic, he’s still at that level…….’

I chuckled in vain.

Meanwhile, Lee Myung-jeong had similar thoughts.

‘Even while handling hundreds of weapons separately, what is that amount of magic power…… Is that even a human’s magic power?’

A brief lull.

I canceled Cheonra [likely a technique or ability] floating in the air and said to my first brother.

“This won’t end like this. Let’s stop the sparring here for now.”

“Already?”

My first brother looked at me with a disappointed expression.

“You’ve seen my level, so I want to properly talk about the Mind Sword now.”

“Hmm.”

Lee Myung-jeong finally knew why his youngest brother had said that.

The Mind Sword is, in short, no different from a finishing move.

Once unleashed, there are no half-hearted results.

Since it’s a clash of each other’s strongest techniques, either both break or only one breaks.

But this was not a real battle, but a process for researching the Mind Sword, perhaps even more important than a sparring match.

If they promised to use the Mind Sword, finished preparing, and then clashed, they could end it without injuries.

“Good. I was curious about that too.”

Lee Myung-jeong’s disappointed feelings disappeared, and he asked with an excited face.

In fact, he was now more looking forward to sparring with his younger brother than learning the secret manual with his father’s insights written on it.

“Then, shall we do it?”

My first brother held the sword with both hands and took a very ordinary middle stance.

And at that moment, the surrounding scenery changed.

Koo-ooo-ooo!

A tremendous presence emanated from near my first brother.

That presence soon turned into a sharp stream of energy.

Like a sword.

It was an infinitely sharp energy, as if to cut everything in the world in half.

‘To be able to unleash it so quickly without any special preparation.’

It was fast to the point of being somewhat surprising.

This is because recognizing one’s inner self and bringing it out into the world based on magic power requires a brief shift in consciousness.

But my first brother’s use of the Mind Sword was natural, as if he were taking a sword out of its sheath, without any of that.