NOVEL NEXT Chapter 29: Star, the Golden Key (4)
[Yuchang Sword]
One of the Nine Fine Swords that were forged by the first Ou Yezi, the Divine Blacksmith.
It can be used as a dagger due to its short length. Its first owner was known to be an assassin.
· Type: Dagger. Sacred artifact.
· Damage: Unmeasurable.
· Effect: Unknown.
*Requirements have not been met. Unable to use the artifact’s ability.
*Requirements have not been met. Unable to inspect the details of the sacred artifact.
‘[Tiamat’s Snaggletooth] and [Yuchang Sword], huh? These two weapons alone are already better than most weapons used by Players,’ Chang-Sun thought as he observed the sword with great interest.
Anyone who decided to sell one of the ‘Nine Fine Swords,’ the swords that represented Ou Yezi, could name any price they wanted. In fact, many Celestials had waged a bloody war against each other using their apostles as proxies when the [Zhan Lu Sword], another of the Nine Fine Swords, had been found in Arcadia.
‘By the end of that war, didn’t two empires and six kingdoms end up falling?’ Chang-Sun thought as he spun the sword.
As he had only been an ordinary wandering mercenary, he had been unable to participate in that war, but he knew what kind of aftermath it had left. That one war had been more lethal than a plague. Despite that, it had ended abruptly because the [Zhan Lu Sword] was lost in the midst of the war, making it even worse. The incident had allowed Chang-Sun to estimate just how valuable the Nine Fine Swords were.
‘I would never have thought of such a fine sword being used as a fire poker,’ Chang-Sun thought, shaking his head. However, another thought soon occurred to him. ‘Maybe they used the sword this way on purpose.’
Among the Nine Fine Swords, the [Yuchang Sword] was the one that had been used most often to spill blood. The sword symbolized assassins who had killed numerous kings and heroes. It contained very powerful grudges, which meant it was called a cursed demon sword; its appearance had not been known, unlike the other Fine swords. However, it seemed almost as if the first Ou Yezi, the creator of the sword, had secretly spread the story on purpose.
‘To think some people say that the first Ou Yezi was called the Divine Blacksmith because he didn’t like bloodshed,’ Chang-Sun thought with a grin.
Although he was unsure whether it was the first Ou Yezi or one of his heirs, the Ou Yezi who had successfully retrieved the [Yuchang Sword] had to have erased all the patterns on the blade that could be used to identify it, then used it to tend the Divine Fire Brazier.
That Ou Yezi had no doubt chosen the second best option due to being unable to destroy it. As time passed, the fact that their fire poker was in fact the [Yuchang Sword] had been forgotten even among the Ou Yezis. However, the sword’s destiny had changed when it caught Chang-Sun’s eye.
Chang-Sun had once become so proficient in handling various kinds of weapons that he had even acquired a special trait, [King of Weapons]. During his ‘Divine Twilight’ years, his only hobby had been collecting new weapons, so he naturally recognized the value of the [Yuchang Sword]. No matter how dull its edge had become, a fine sword would always remain a fine sword.
[The Celestial ‘A Good Season to Hunt’ grumbles about you grinning over strange things.]
The childish Pabilsag, who only liked to hunt, continued to complain as she had no eye for weapons.
[The Celestial ‘Twilight-Piercing Owl’ watches you in satisfaction.]
Minerva appeared to have noticed something, but Chang-Sun was certain that she did not know the sword was the [Yuchang Sword], no matter how great a warring deity she was.
‘If I can, it would be fun to collect all the Nine Fine Swords of Ou Yezi,’ he thought. Although he was half-joking, he still felt as if it would be possible. His intuition told him that the connection he had formed with Ou Yezi’s heir was strong.
Squeak!
The taxi just happened to arrive in front of Chang-Sun’s apartment at that moment. He paid with his card, then got out of the vehicle.
The sun was already setting, but Chang-Sun could not go home yet. Expressionless, he turned to look at the garden. There was no one there, only big trees and beautiful flowers; however, Chang-Sun stared at it with a sharp gaze, as if there were someone waiting there.
“Do you want something from me?” Chang-Sun called out clearly.
…
The trees just danced along the wind, and no one answered.
[Equipped the ‘Flame Tiger’s Fang Chisel’!]
[Initiating attack.]
Chang-Sun suddenly threw the icepick-like weapon he had made out of a boss monster’s fang toward the garden. At first, there seemed to be no sign that somebody was present, but the air suddenly distorted as if a ghost had appeared.
Claasssh!
“I was hiding, but how can you just attack first and ask questions second…?!” Woo Yeong-Geun, who had been using the Skill ‘Concealment’ to figure out Chang-Sun’s ability, began to exclaim, but he had to stop when he saw Chang-Sun running toward him with a big black dagger in his hand. Little did Yeong-Geun know that Chang-Sun was using [Viper Eyes].
Swooosh―!
As the situation forced his hand, Yeong-Geun had to draw his [Black Pearl Scimitar]. It was his favorite weapon, and had enabled him to become one of the best swordsmen alive in Korea, ‘Black Shamshir’.
Claaang!
The heavy and rhythmic sound of swords clashing against each other echoed through the apartment complex.
Paaah―!
Seemingly having no intention of stopping, Chang-Sun continued to unleash quick sword strikes against Yeong-Geun.
Clang! Clash! Clang!
Chang-Sun and Yeong-Geun exchanged several attacks in an instant. Whenever their swords clashed with each other, Yeong-Geun felt Chang-Sun’s sheer power through his fiercely shaking blade, and his eyes widened in shock.
‘How can a rookie’s power…?!’ Yeong-Geun thought, clenching his teeth.
His level was overwhelmingly higher than Chang-Sun’s, but Yeong-Geun was unsure whether he could overwhelm the man himself. That was how powerful Chang-Sun’s sword attacks were, and they could even shake the [Black Pearl Scimitar]. On top of that, his strikes were quick and decisive.
Yeong-Geun could not find any specific pattern in Chang-Sun’s attacks, which meant his swordsmanship was not deep and systematic. It was a fighting style born of actual combat, used by mercenaries who earned their living by fighting.
However, Yeong-Geun was certain that even a full cohort of mercenaries would be unable to win against Chang-Sun. No, it would be an insult to Chang-Sun to even imply that.
Although Chang-Sun’s swordsmanship was certainly common and unsophisticated, Yeong-Geun did not see any unnecessary moves in his attacks. He finally realized that Chang-Sun’s sword strikes had only one purpose—to kill his enemy. He felt that only a person who had maximized the efficiency of his skills by honing them in countless battles would fight that way.
Thus, Yeong-Geun had difficulty thinking of Chang-Sun as a rookie; normally, only first generation Players who had gone through countless hardships displayed such movements. As he had not used his sword for a long time, he was unsure whether he could subdue a fighter on Chang-Sun’s level without leaving a scar on him.
‘I provoked him to test his ability, but it seems I’ll only make a fool of myself if I continue. I guess… I have to get a little serious,’ Yeong-Geun thought, feeling his heart pound for the first time in a very long time. Even though he knew that as a respected figure in society, it was inappropriate to behave that way against a rookie, he could not hold back any longer.
‘I’m going to be severely scolded by my niece, Yeong-Geun thought as he repeatedly apologized in his mind to his adorable niece, who had pestered him to recruit Chang-Sun by any means necessary.
Shiinng―!
Yeong-Geun flipped his [Black Pearl Scimitar] over, revealing his hidden weapon. He had decided to give the battle his all.
[The scimitar calls forth ten thousand curved blades!]
Ziiinnnggg!
Yeong-Geun’s sword trembled fiercely as a powerful aura that could split the very air formed on its blade. He thought to himself, ‘I should be able to have a good fight with this rookie if I use this.’
However…
Claaanngg!
…after a single clash between Yeong-Geun and Chang-Sun’s blades, Yeong-Geun instantly changed his mind, as a shiver ran down his spine and brought him back to his senses.
‘Why have I been acting like such an idiot…?!’ he thought, biting the inside of his cheek.
He was here to recruit a rookie, not fight recklessly as he had once done in his youth. On top of that, he was in an apartment complex where many people lived, and a fight between Players could cause a lot of damage to it.
Hearing the sharp sounds of clashing metal, several people from various units had already opened the windows and begun watching the two fight. Yeong-Geun could see that some had even tried to call the police.
Yeong-Geun stepped back, making distance from Chang-Sun. Just as the sharp-eyed Chang-Sun was about to leap forward, he stuck the [Black Pearl Scimitar] in the asphalt below and held his hands up in surrender.
Chang-Sun could no longer attack, and thus lowered his sword—no, Yeong-Geun could not be sure whether to call it a dagger or a longsword. However, he remained tense, his gaze sharp. Yeong-Geun could tell that he could resume attacking at any moment if he needed to.
‘Is he really a rookie? Damn, he seems more ferocious than most fighting dogs,’ Yeong-Geun thought, slightly shaking his head.
However, he had heard that Chang-Sun had gone through the Tutorial, which made Yeong-Geun think that it was quite believable for Chang-Sun to react that way. After all, the Tutorial given by capricious Celestials was like a natural disaster to most humans. Still, that was insufficient to answer his question as to where Chang-Sun had developed the sword skills of a true combatant.
“I apologize for unintentionally provoking you. I was just trying to test your ability… but I suppose I got too excited and caused a big misunderstanding,” Yeong-Geun said. He apologized politely and even bowed, despite the fact that Chang-Sun was much younger than him.
Knowing that Yeong-Geun was sincere, Chang-Sun loosened up, throwing [Tiamat’s Snaggletooth] back into his inventory.
“Who are you?” he asked, his tone full of hostility.
[The Celestial ‘A Good Season to Hunt’ yells about how you should teach the man who dared to attack you a lesson.]
[The Celestial ‘A Good Season to Hunt’ is looking forward to your fight.]
Chang-Sun’s rude tone got on Yeong-Geun’s nerves, but he could not reveal his annoyance, as he had started the fight first. Yeong-Geun quickly pulled out a card holder from the inner pocket of his suit, then handed Chang-Sun his business card.
After he read Yeong-Geun’s business card, Chang-Sun’s eyes shone with interest. He did not personally know Yeong-Geun, the Sword of Ohsung Clan’s personnel director; however, he had heard about the Clan, which was the main rival of his target, the White Tiger Clan.
‘The deity they serve is the ‘Nameless Giant,’ right?’ Chang-Sun thought as he flipped over Yeong-Geun’s business card.
The deity’s real name was Ueopwang[1], a wealth deity who was known to protect people’s assets.
However, the deity the Clan served was not particularly related to the Zodiacs, whom Chang-Sun was trying to capture, which meant Chang-Sun had not been paying much attention to them. Why would they come to him?
“I actually visited you today to recruit you to our Clan, Mr. Lee Chang-Sun,” Yeong-Geun said as he studied Chang-Sun’s face.
Once again, Chang-Sun’s eyes shone with interest.
“I’m not too happy about being abruptly provoked… By the way, though, how did you find out about me…?” Chang-Sun replied, speaking more calmly because he felt that he no longer had to maintain his aggression. After all, he could not sense any hostility from Yeong-Geun, who seemed to be from a solid background. Of course, he did not let his guard down.
Yeong-Geun smiled enigmatically and replied, “It seems you do not know how famous you are. Well, I suppose it has not been long since the Jamsil Gate closed… Apart from our Clan, I think many Clans around the globe must be interested in you, Mr. Lee Chang-Sun.”
Chang-Sun’s eyes sparkled. He had been on guard because he thought his involvement with the incident at the Bonghwasan Gate might have been discovered. It seemed he had been mistaken, however. He had known he would become famous after finishing the Tutorial in the Jamsil Gate, but the Clans had reacted much faster than he expected. He had not expected their intelligence capabilities to be so good.
‘I guess he isn’t going to look down on me just because I’m a Player,’ he thought as he looked back at Yeong-Geun.
[The Celestial ‘A Good Season to Hunt’ angrily asks whether you are really going to let an enemy who provoked you go.]
“Although I would really like to talk with you about many things… I made a big mistake today, so I will contact you again after you have calmed down enough. Of course, you are more than welcome to call me first using the number on my business card,” Yeong-Geun said with a bow, bidding Chang-Sun farewell.
Even though he sounded polite, it was clear that Yeong-Geun strongly believed that Chang-Sun would end up calling his number, showing how proud he was of his Clan.
[The Celestial ‘A Good Season to Hunt’ is hopping mad, yelling that a person who is to become her apostle should never lose!]
[The Celestial ‘World-Encircling Serpent’ criticizes her, telling her to do it herself if she wants the fight to continue.]
[The Celestial ‘A Good Season to Hunt’ loses her temper, yelling at ‘World-Encircling Serpent’ that she might fight against him instead.]
[The Celestial ‘World-Encircling Serpent’ smirks at ‘A Good Season to Hunt’, urging her to come at him.]
[The Celestial ‘A Good Season to Hunt’ runs amok, yelling that she will kill him and use his body to make a snake stew.]
Ignoring Pabilsag and Jörmungandr’s silly bickering, Chang-Sun idly played with Yeong-Geun’s business card after the man himself left.
He had no plans to join the Sword of Ohsung Clan, but there seemed to be no harm in knowing there was another option. Yeong-Geun had provoked him, but he looked like a decent man.
‘Anyway… he’s somewhat familiar,’ Chang-Sun thought, tilting his head in confusion because something was bothering him.
Yeong-Geun did not look like a stranger to Chang-Sun, although he had no idea where he had met the man. After momentarily wondering if he had met Yeong-Geun before he went to Arcadia, he suddenly came back to reality as he realized something.
‘Wait, if such a person came here… Did he also enter my home? Shit!’ Chang-Sun thought. He moved quickly, as he had not been planning on telling his family about the fact that he had become a Player yet.
‘They’ll just worry about me a lot…!’ Chang-Sun thought, clenching his teeth.
“Did you enjoy your jog, dear?” Chang-Sun’s mother, So Yu-Ha, called out from the kitchen when Chang-Sun entered his home, as if she knew who had arrived just by his footsteps.
“Mom, just now…!” Chang-Sun quickly began.
“You have not eaten yet, have you? Wash your hands first and come sit here,” Yu-Ha gently said.
Chang-Sun carefully walked toward the kitchen, thinking of how to explain the whole story. However, he belatedly realized that his mother was much tougher than he had thought when he saw her cooking as usual. She did not look as if she had been shaken up one bit, meaning she trusted her youngest son more than anyone in the world.
“Do you want to talk to me about something?” Yu-Ha asked, looking in Chang-Sun’s direction when she senses Chang-Sun watching her.
“Mom,” Chang-Sun began, looking at the floor.
“Yes, honey?” Yu-Ha said as she scooped rice into a bowl.
“I have something to tell you,” Chang-Sun said, only then meeting his mother’s eyes.
That was when Chang-Sun made up his mind to tell his mother a little about himself, in order to ensure she would not worry too much about him. Still, he could not tell her all the details just yet.
However… He would tell her everything someday.
* * *
A month soon passed, and afterward the White Tiger Clan began to recruit new Players.
It was finally time for Chang-Sun to make his move.
1. Ueopwang is a god who actually exists in Korean mythology, also known as Ueopwangsin (업왕신) or Ueopsin (업신). ☜