Chapter 33
33 – Nam Gung’s Breakdown (2).
Nam Gung Sae Ga.
Once, he was called the greatest swordsman in the world.
The sword master, Nam Gung Dae Ryong.
He couldn’t surpass the top swordsmaster, Seo Ryong Hyeon, but he expelled the pursuing sword master right below him.
That’s why Nam Gung Sae Ga was called the greatest swordsman in the world.
Seo Ryong Hyeon stood alone.
It was different from the Nam Gung family that had been leading the clan.
Even if he wanted to establish his own power, he couldn’t do so due to the constraints of other forces.
That’s why people praised Nam Gung Sae Ga as the greatest swordsman in the world.
The family, which used to be unable to enter the top five families in Korea, has now crumbled.
Wealth may decline, but it’s not easy for a prestigious family to fall.
However, Nam Gung has fallen.
How could it all crumble?
“It was because of one person.”
The reason was simple.
The nameless of Cheong-an.
That terrifyingly strong monster erased the greatest swordsman clan from the world.
In the process, Namgung Sae lost most of its martial arts.
Only the Heaven Sword Clan, the weakest among them with Namgung Daeryong, could barely escape death.
If it had stopped there, it might have been fine.
But the Heaven Sword Clan dreamed of revenge to kill the nameless of Cheong-an.
They gathered their forces.
To seek vengeance on the nameless who erased the name Namgung.
There were those who joined in that intent.
Oh Daese-ga and Gupa Ilbang.
The leaders of factions.
A plan they believed would undoubtedly succeed and keep them safe.
But it was recorded in blood.
The Hwasan Blood Incident.
There, Namgung Daeryong lost his life.
Do Hwang, Baekjuhyeok, and the top swordsman of the faction, Seoryonghyun.
And countless martial artists, too.
Since then, Nam Gung Sae has been endlessly declining.
Even after establishing himself in China, he couldn’t assert his authority.
Driven out to Korea, he couldn’t establish himself properly in this narrow, worn-out land.
Nam Hye Rin was born to the most incompetent head of the family in history, Nam Gung Sae.
Unable to gain a foothold with Ahn Hwi Sung, and even driven out from the outskirts of China.
Amidst all that, he abandoned his powerless state and decided to live alone.
A being who sought pleasure in such circumstances, indulging in multiple relationships even after taking a main wife.
Born from an affair with a maid, Nam Hye Rin’s position was inevitably limited.
Even if she had talent in the sword, she was not allowed to wield one.
Therefore, she learned the sword from those who practiced it beyond the walls.
This is the story Nam Hye Rin shared with me.
“…Is that so.”
Inside the training ground.
I sat there, listening to Nam Hye Rin’s story with my arms crossed, letting out a sigh.
I could infer from the sporadic sounds that reached me, but hearing the truth felt strange.
This world is connected to the worlds I lived in in my past life.
“At that time, Nam Gung Sae lost most of his swordsmanship and wisdom. After that, he continued to decline.”
Nam Hye Rin looked at me.
In your eyes, there was a curiosity as if you knew Namgung’s sword.
But now, there was a different desire greater than that.
The desire to learn the sword from me.
However, the reason I knew the Brain Sword was simple.
‘Well, because I annihilated it.’
I didn’t say those words.
I’ll have to say them someday.
But it’s not important now.
“Before entering training, there’s something I want to ask.”
“What is it?”
“What do you think of Namgung’s sword?”
“Namgung’s sword… The Swift Sword, the Transforming Sword, the Middle Sword, and the Breaking Sword.”
“Isn’t it strange?”
“What do you mean?”
“Usually, clans or martial arts schools handle only one or two swords.”
If the Volcano Clan has the Transforming Sword and the Enchanting Sword.
The Shaman Clan has the Flowing Sword and the Strong Sword.
The Clear Mountain Clan specializes in the Pointed Sword, focusing on thrusting.
But Namgung is a bit different.
Even if you master two, he handles swords with mutually reinforcing effects.
‘Because it’s difficult to master.’
Even those called geniuses struggle to handle two swords.
But Namgung wields four swords.
Just as the reason why descendants cannot become geniuses like their predecessors.
The Fast Sword and the Transforming Sword.
The Medium Sword and the Crushing Sword.
Namgung Se-ga is the one who handles these two swords that seem completely incompatible.
The Quick and Agile Brain Sword.
And the Emperor Sword, which combines the Crushing Sword and the Medium Sword.
These two seem very different.
But in the end, they are quite closely related.
And I know that interesting things happen when you obtain the Brain Sword and the Emperor Sword.
*
The person who created Namgung Se-ga’s Emperor Sword is a genius.
A genius to the extent that I can acknowledge.
Once, Namgung Se-ga, who was known for his internal martial art called Changryonggi, which generates the Brain Sword, had his history changed by the genius who created the Emperor Sword.
If Namgung Se-ga has a turning point, I can confidently say it was then.
‘In other words.’
If he didn’t exist, Namgung Se-ga wouldn’t have received the title of the Greatest Swordmaster under Heaven.
“The blackness of Namgoong’s sword is straight. But it cannot contain the sky, so I wanted to contain the sky with this sword.”
It was a soliloquy depicting the image of the Emperor’s sword.
When Namgoong Se-ga fell silent, I acquired their ignorance.
At that time, when I sought the origin of the Heavenly Thunderclap, my thirst was for their ignorance.
From the Azure Firmament Divine Art to the Azure Heaven Thunder Divine Art, I searched for every sword technique and divine art.
As befitting the name of the greatest swordsmanship in the world, Namgoong Se-ga possessed many things.
“I felt it last time too.”
He suited something other than the Brain Sword.
It’s not that the Brain Sword is bad.
But if there’s a sword that represents Namgoong Se-ga, it’s one.
The Emperor Sword.
No matter how much I think about it, mastering the Emperor Sword is the right path for him.
“What is the sword that could be called a strategist?”
“The Swift Sword.”
An answer without hesitation.
I nodded in agreement.
Those labeled as Sword Demons are generally specialized in the Swift Sword.
“The Swift Sword is good too. With the Azure Dragon Technique honed by the Azure Heaven Thunder Divine Art, you can bring down considerable opponents.”
“Then…”
Nam Hye-rin looked at me with expectant eyes.
Heavenly Thunderous Divine Art.
At first, she tried to teach it.
To move on to the next level, Nam Hye-rin seemed to need to learn it.
“It’s not bad to try something different.”
That thought changed.
It was because of Yoo Eun-chae.
“You want to know about Nam Hye-rin?”
“Yeah.”
“She’s a typical Swift Sword, but she has an innate characteristic that shouldn’t be cultivated as a Swift Sword…”
“Innate characteristic?”
“Yes, Nam Hye-rin is the same as our master.”
“The same as me?”
“Yes, it’s a case of awakening the innate characteristic late…”
The conversation I had with Yoo Eun-chae.
And Nam Hye-rin’s awakening innate characteristic was very special.
“But I will teach you something else.”
So I will not pass on the Brain Sword to Nam Hye-rin.
“Then what…?”
Something more fundamental, the sword.
A sword symbolizing the Namgung.
“The Emperor’s Sword Style.”
I looked at Nam Hye-rin.
Namgung’s sword.
I was going to teach it to Nam Hye-rin.
The Emperor’s Sword Style suits Nam Hye-rin well.
“Did you say Namgung Mireu?”
I wanted to distort the arrogant expression.
So I’m going to teach Nam Hye-rin the Emperor’s Sword Style.
But.
“Well… I’m sorry, but I can’t master the Emperor’s Sword Style.”
Nam Hye-rin rejected my proposal.
*
“…Why?”
I had to ask for the reason.
Isn’t this a precious opportunity for Nam Hye-rin?
So I was curious.
“I want to learn the Emperor’s Sword Style. Although I cannot disclose where I learned it, it’s a precious opportunity, isn’t it?”
“That’s true.”
“However, it’s dangerous for the fact that I mastered the Emperor’s Sword Style and that I acquired the sword from the professor to be known. If that happens, this fight will not be between me and Namgung Mireu, but between Professor Han Seo-jin and Namgung Sae-ga.”
What, was that the concern?
I chuckled.
“Don’t worry.”
“Yes?”
Nam Gung-se had fallen, unlike when it was my turn.
His power was at an almost negligible level.
I can be sure of that.
Nam Gung Dae-ryong had mobilized everything to kill me.
Yet, he had hidden paddles to raise Nam Gung-se as a pawn.
But.
In our fight, he also tried to prevent any potential threats.
‘He might have left a copy of the sword.’
Nam Gung-se’s divine beings and elixirs.
Nam Gung Dae-ryong had mostly used them up in our battle.
No matter how tremendous the forces gathered at that time, I wouldn’t have known if I could endure seven days and nights.
‘Thanks to that, he gained enlightenment in the end, making it really dangerous.’
Anyway, there is truly nothing left of Nam Gung-se.
Rather than seeking revenge for Nam Gung’s sword or receiving the retribution they deserved, they might have received.
However I managed to survive, Nam Gung is now a fallen clan that hasn’t even been heard of under the great families currently existing in Korea.
‘There are several families below the great families.’
Nam Gung-se has simply declined into a common, ordinary family.
The information Yu Eun-chae gave me should be quite reliable.
Though there aren’t any formal ranks, there are things equivalent to them, she said.
“It’s just something like opposing Nam Gung-se.”
It’s not that difficult.
If it comes to it, I can just destroy it.
It’s an easier task than you think when you consider there are several professors and students.
“So.”
I want to crush the arrogance of Nam Gung-mi-ryeo.
“……”
Nam Hye-rin was deeply lost in thought.
Then she looked at me with even sharper eyes than before.
“I wanted to become a sword someday. Devote myself to someone, that’s the way of life.”
“Is that so?”
“Well, to be precise, because I was raised that way, I don’t know how to live any other life. I am Nam Gung’s sword. I was raised as a sword, not as a human named Nam Hye-rin. I am Nam Gung-se’s hidden sword. That was my future.”
“Is that so?”
“No one said they would fight Nam Gung-se for me. Well, there were people who said it, but they were looking at the future, not at me.”
“Yu Eun-chae and Sun Woo-hyun?”
“…Yes, those two.”
I looked at Nam Hye-rin.
A cold gaze.
So that’s why they saw something in Nam Hye-rin, she must have known.
Not as a person, but simply as someone with a certain talent.
“That’s why I swear here. I will become your sword.”
“There’s no need to swear.”
“…Excuse me?”
Nam Hye-rin blinked.
As if she didn’t expect to be rejected.
“It may seem strange, but I’m not a good person who forces loyalty on others or takes lives.”
He’s a guy who struggles to protect his own body.
Because the sins of his past life always try to kill him.
Even knowing that, I’m a guy who seeks other powers.
Rather than building my fence and planning for safety.
I’m a guy who wants to learn abilities according to my interests.
“Professor… You’re worried about my future, aren’t you?”
“Huh?”
“You might say something like that. Instead of dedicating myself to someone like me, you want me to live my life.”
“…No.”
Wait.
“But I was raised as a sword. I’ll follow your words, but first, I will act as your sword.”
“No, Hye-rin?”
“Thank you. Please teach me quickly. Don’t you have to defeat Nam Gung Mireo?”
Namyelin, with a excited expression, holding a sword.
No, it’s not like that.
*
Before we knew it, a month had passed.
Unity Tournament.
Although it bears that name, its meaning has long been lost.
It was once said to be a competition created for everyone to join forces and fight against monsters.
From Noble mtl dot com
But now, it’s a place where students point their swords at each other in competition.
And the professors also use it as a place to prove that they are superior to others.
Nam Gung Mireo closed her eyes.
Brain Sword, Nam Gung Mireo.
There are many epithets for her.
Nam Gung’s flower.
Nam Gung Se-ga’s hope.
And the one who will establish the best swordsmanship in the world again.
That’s why it was amusing.
Han Seo-jin, the chief professor.
“Too good, that’s why.”
His attitude of speaking as if he’s outstanding was amusing.
I acknowledge Nam Hye-rin’s talent.
However, she picked up the sword too late.
And she did not receive proper education.
These are not problems that can be solved in just one month.
The principal was also a problem.
Just because she has a little talent, does her true nature not show?
The professor should not have done that.
The one leading the students.
Should not bring out personal emotions.
“So.”
I will publicly step on Nam Hye-rin.
And pour out the humiliation I received.
Nam Gung-mi-ryeo looked at her instructor.
The instructor nodded.
Disgrace.
Her instructor is known to be a figure who will soon fall into disgrace.
He is also one of the most outstanding figures among the professors.
So, Senior Professor Han Seo-jin will also kneel.
Nam Gung-mi-ryeo looked forward to that scene and looked at the training ground.
Kwaaang!!
“……?”
And then, the instructor witnessed the figure of the instructor kneeling down and collapsing.
“Next.”
Han Seojin, holding a blood-stained wooden sword, was smiling brighter than anyone else.