Weapon-Eating Bastard [EN]: Chapter 249

Weapon-Eating Bastard – Episode 249

Lee Myung-jung tightened his grip on Bloodless.

Unleashing Soul Sword with this blade was dangerous, but he was willing to go this far for his younger brother.

No, even setting aside familial duty, he was enjoying this moment.

‘Can you withstand this?’

A strike honed over a lifetime by the warrior Lee Myung-jung.

It was the first time in recent memory that he had unleashed Soul Sword with such power while wielding a blade as treacherous as Bloodless.

However, Lee Myung-jung held nothing back.

And Lee Chul braced himself.

Though delivered a beat late, he sensed an elusive energy spreading outwards.

‘A terrifying Soul Sword.’

A Soul Sword is the embodiment of the warrior who wields it.

The life they have lived.

The greatest strength they currently possess.

And even the image of the warrior they aspire to become.

All of that is imbued within it.

That’s why Lee Myung-jung immediately recognized the absurdity of Lee Chul’s strike.

Formless, and therefore possessing infinite possibilities.

Lee Myung-jung smiled involuntarily as he watched.

Suddenly, words he had often heard echoed in his mind.

-The warrior closest to perfection.

Lee Myung-jung had somewhat agreed with that assessment, but seeing this, he understood how meaningless it was.

The warrior closest to perfection was Lee Chul, that bastard.

If a being capable of achieving anything they set their mind to isn’t perfection, then what is?

‘However.’

Lee Myung-jung resolutely unleashed his magic power.

‘It’s still too early.’

Lee Myung-jung had wielded a sword since before Lee Chul was born, and he had reached the realm of Soul Sword long before his younger brother.

His love for his younger brother remained, but he was, after all, a member of the Soongmoo Lee Clan [a prestigious martial arts family].

He could not afford to lose.

‘Let’s see you receive this.’

Soul Sword, Severance.

The strike shot out.

* * *

My Soul Sword is freedom.

Like water that adapts to any container, it seeps into the opponent and breaks down their structure.

Therefore, rather than a technique to overwhelm the opponent with a preemptive attack, it is a counter-attack technique that adapts with flexibility.

Delayed Initiative.

A technique that begins later than the opponent but gains the upper hand.

Due to the nature of Soul Sword, it is difficult to master, but once unleashed, it promises near-certain victory.

However.

‘It’s being torn apart……!’

The immense, undulating energy emanating from my eldest brother was tearing my Soul Sword to shreds.

The moment it touched my eldest brother’s energy, all my power shattered like scattered grain.

It wasn’t just my Soul Sword and aura that were being torn apart.

The space touched by my eldest brother’s energy warped and distorted.

I couldn’t discern the shape of the blade, starting from the hilt of my eldest brother’s sword.

‘Space is being severed. Light, sound…….’

There was no sound of energy exploding, nor any flash of light.

Hearing occurs when the vibration of a substance travels through a medium and strikes the eardrum, and sight occurs when light is reflected and reaches the optic nerve through the lens.

However, the moment it touched my eldest brother’s sword, all actions, including vibrations and light, were severed.

Swish, swish, swish!

Finally, only after the sword was drawn and pointed towards the ground did the lost sound and light begin to return.

The shape of the sword my eldest brother was holding gradually became clearer, and the muffled noises that had disappeared began to fill the space.

“……Hoo.”

My eldest brother took a long breath and sheathed Bloodless with a tired expression.

Shiver!

The arm of my eldest brother, who had sheathed the sword, trembled.

“I almost lost. You’re really terrifying. I’m going to suffer internal injuries because of you, you rascal.”

He spoke nonchalantly, but Lee Myung-jung was serious.

Seeing the terminal parts of his magic circuits [pathways for magical energy] creaking, he nearly suffered internal injuries.

Moreover, Bloodless had absorbed so much magic power that he probably wouldn’t be able to draw this magic sword for a while until it calmed down.

“You’re so full of余裕 [composure/余裕]……”

“Haha, I guess we should stop the actual sparring here. Your level is too high; I pushed myself too hard.”

I smiled slyly, thinking about my eldest brother’s strike.

I had realized something.

That my Soul Sword was not invincible, and that there were still many mountains to climb.

And…… that the mountain wasn’t insurmountable.

‘My eldest brother didn’t cut me down because it was a sparring match, but because he had to put all his effort into cutting down my Soul Sword.’

I felt like the summit of the great mountain named Lee Myung-jung was within reach.

Of course, taking that final step would be difficult, and my eldest brother wouldn’t simply stand still…….

‘It’s enough to realize that my Soul Sword isn’t perfect.’

I thought my Soul Sword was an invincible strike, but in the end, it was just another tool that needed to be honed to reach a higher level.

If my Soul Sword grows further, I will be able to do the same thing as my eldest brother.

I was happy.

I always feel the most joy when I have a goal.

I grinned.

* * *

After the first sparring match, I set aside time about twice a week to train with my eldest brother.

One session was mainly for sparring.

The other was…… for receiving teachings from my eldest brother and researching the interpretation of my father’s insights.

“What do you think Soul Sword is?”

That was the first question my eldest brother posed.

I wasn’t flustered and gave my own interpretation.

“I think it’s the materialization of the path that the warrior has walked and will walk, using magic power……”

“Hmm, that’s a similar interpretation to mine. I think so too.”

My eldest brother paused for a moment, then continued.

“Of course, your Soul Sword is so different from others that it’s a bit confusing.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah, honestly, when I first saw it, I was so surprised that I almost screamed. I thought it was ridiculous.”

Lee Myung-jung gave a playful answer, but there was sincerity in it.

The youngest brother, Lee Chul’s, Soul Sword is truly special.

Usually, a Soul Sword clearly reveals one element of the ideal martial art that the warrior is aiming for.

In Lee Myung-jung’s case, it would be ‘cutting’.

In the case of the second brother, Lee Jin-yoon, it is ‘destroying’.

But what about Lee Chul?

‘Something that can become anything.’

……What on earth is this?

“I understand what you mean. But is it that hard to accept?”

“No, it’s not. Once you’ve seen it, it’s not something you can’t understand.”

“Is that so? You said you thought it was ridiculous?”

“Hmm…… I see what part you don’t understand. I think I can teach you this part.”

My eldest brother seemed to have noticed my shortcomings just from that conversation.

And he smiled, as if he was enjoying the prospect of teaching me something.

“First, we need to organize this before we start researching it properly.”

My eldest brother said with a glint in his eyes.

“Do you think there is anything impossible in this world? I’m not talking about famous sayings or ideological concepts, but about what is practically possible or impossible.”

“Yes, wouldn’t there naturally be?”

No one can manipulate time.

Nothing can be resurrected from death.

Even if we don’t delve into such profound questions, there are many impossibilities in this world.

“Hmm, that’s wrong.”

But my eldest brother denied it.

“Basically, in this world, there is no such thing as ‘impossible’.”

“What do you mean…….”

“Think about it carefully. Things that you thought were impossible, but were actually possible.”

When I first heard it, many rebuttals flashed through my mind.

No matter how developed magic or sorcery is, can you transcend time?

Can you revive the dead?

Can you create life?

……But, I suddenly thought that it might not be impossible.

‘Even I myself returned to the past at the end of death.’

I also have regenerative-like recovery power through Black Qi [a type of dark energy], and I absorb weapons to read memories.

I’ve also seen puppetry.

The things that the primordial monster did, the spirits of the Mystics and Anastasia…….

They were all things that were known to be impossible, but were actually possible.

My eldest brother watched me, who was lost in thought, and continued.

“There is no impossibility, only a lack of methods or conditions. There is also nothing absolute. This is the one and only truth of the world. You must keep this in mind to understand Soul Sword.”

I nodded.

There is nothing impossible, nothing absolute.

“And Soul Sword is a technique that proves that very truth of ‘nothing is impossible’ in a warrior’s way.”

Becoming as large as reaching the sky with a small human body.

Severing space, light, and vibration with human power.

The Soul Swords I’ve seen were all full of impossible things that humans couldn’t do.

“Rules and laws of the world do exist. Waves, particles, gravity; it’s a bit of a leap, but mathematics, science, and magic can be said to be disciplines that seek the laws and rules of nature.”

Magicians, mathematicians, and scientists stay up all night researching to find them.

“But where do those laws come from, and where do they go? Are they absolute because they have existed from the beginning? That’s not it.”

Basically, there is no impossibility in this world.

There is also nothing absolute.

“Soul Sword is something that deviates from those rules and laws. It opens the door and reaches a realm, distorting the rules and laws of the world according to its own rules.”

I heard those words, and suddenly the words written in the Soul Sword Manual came to mind.

The three conditions that my father mentioned for reaching Soul Sword.

Understand all powers.

Understand yourself.

Draw it out with magic power.

The meaning was understood.

-Soul Sword is about bringing out your own rules that exist only within yourself to the outside world.

That’s why the impossible becomes possible.

“It’s in line with the interpretation of this part written in the Soul Sword Manual.”

“You understand quickly, as expected. Then what is the power that makes it possible to twist those rules?”

“Magic power.”

“That’s right. Magic power makes all impossibilities possible.”

The moment I answered that, I felt like the frame of my thinking was breaking.

I felt like the preconceived notions I had unknowingly held were shattering.

‘If I want to, can’t my Soul Sword evolve into any form?’

It may not take as long to draw as my eldest brother’s.

Or maybe I can walk around with it constantly unfolded.

Because there is nothing impossible.

All I have to do is find a way.

And all the methods for that Soul Sword are…….

‘It’s written here.’

It was the right decision to study this book with my eldest brother.

I smiled involuntarily.

“……Honestly, you scare me sometimes.”

I was lost in thought for a moment, but my eldest brother suddenly said that.

“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”

“Even if I throw out some trivial words, you figure it out on your own and gain enlightenment, so I can’t help but be careful with my words.”

“What enlightenment are you talking about?”

“You just got some clue, didn’t you?”

“That’s…… but. How did you know?”

I blinked and asked.

“It all shows on your face, you little rascal.”

Lee Myung-jung let out a hollow laugh.

Well, that was Lee Chul’s talent.

A mind that doesn’t settle for the status quo and tries to move forward at any time.

Whether it’s hard or tiring doesn’t seem to matter much; he’s just focused on constantly training himself.

So, he immediately reacts to any external stimulus, makes it his own, and gains enlightenment.

In fact, enlightenment is not a big deal.

It’s a word that easily comes up in Eastern philosophy, but enlightenment exists everywhere.

It’s just that you’re not ready to accept it.

But Lee Chul is ready.

The foundation of Lee Chul’s growth comes from that mindset.

“Good. Anyway, let’s properly research this now. To be honest, I’m a little excited too.”

So, we started unfolding the Soul Sword Manual.

* * *

Recently, the head of the Soongmoo Lee Clan’s Jangkyung Pavilion [library] was having a slightly embarrassing experience.

“Baekhyung Martial Arts and Ilgak Martial Arts, oh, and where is the book that dealt with Western ancient swordsmanship before?”

“Ah, yes, yes. That’s on the north bookshelf…….”

Acting Family Head, Lee Myung-jung, had personally come and started borrowing various books.

Since he was almost the Acting Family Head, there was no way there would be a book that couldn’t be borrowed, and if it was already borrowed…… what could he do?

The Twin Stars of the Great Soongmoo Lee Clan wanted to borrow it, so he had to retrieve it.

Moreover, that wasn’t the end.

“I’m going to go into the underground library. I’m going to check numbers 1 and 12 of the Secret Arts.”

“Oh, are you saying that again today?”

Lee Chul, the young powerhouse who caused a wind of reform in the entrenched Soongmoo Lee Clan, also came and borrowed or read all sorts of books.

Thanks to that, the Jangkyung Pavilion was in chaos.

Every time the two most powerful people in the family visited, they had to mobilize people every day to thoroughly prepare, just in case there was anything dirty or unorganized.

‘Please, save me!’

The head of the pavilion screamed and memorized the inventory and loan status.

Because if he didn’t know and couldn’t answer when Lee Myung-jung and Lee Chul came and asked about the books, he didn’t know what would happen.

And before he knew it, Lee Chul and Lee Myung-jung’s strange behavior began to be noticed by other people in the family.

“That’s not how you should do it. Isn’t that a magician’s point of view?”

“Unique magic is ultimately in line with Soul Sword. This is also a phenomenon made of magic power…….”

“No, big brother. In a different context from Soul Sword…….”

It was almost like they were fighting, because the sound of the argument with Lee Chul often came out of Lee Myung-jung’s office.

“The ‘archetype’ that Father mentioned should not be found in the concept of archetypes in magic or Western philosophy, right?”

“In the end, the basis of Soul Sword is what you saw when you were young, right?”

“That’s not what I mean.”

Who would dare to intervene in the conversation between Lee Chul and Lee Myung-jung?

And after continuing the argument like that, they suddenly got up and sparred in the training hall.

Even though it was a clash between two warriors who had reached the summit, not a single sound of bursting or breaking was heard in the training hall.

It was so quiet that it felt like all the surrounding sounds were being consumed.

When they walked out of the training hall, it was mainly Lee Chul, the youngest, who was in tatters.

‘Did they have a sparring match?’

‘But…… Lee Chul’s wounds seem to be less than last week?’

As the days went by, Lee Chul’s wounds decreased.

Very occasionally, Lee Myung-jung would walk out with a tired expression, limping.

That’s how several weeks passed.