Chapter 151

Chapter 152. The Tip of the Iceberg (7)

For Keter, this Southern Sword Tournament was not a tense battle but a form of entertainment.

A battle is where beliefs and pride clash. Dying as a result is not the outcome but part of the process. This was Keter’s philosophy.

However, killing was prohibited in this tournament. There were set rules. This wasn’t the kind of fight Keter preferred.

Of course, even in entertainment, one could fight seriously, but that required the opponent’s level to match. Against 3-4 stars, it wouldn’t even register.

But Keter wasn’t the type to show displeasure and half-heartedly participate.

‘Let’s enjoy it. That’s why I came, right?’

To maximize enjoyment, Keter deliberately exhausted all his Aura with Heaven Explosion Fire Rain, ensuring the participants’ attention.

He worried they might retreat in fear of his divine presence, but fortunately, all participants gathered.

From then on, Keter enjoyed himself. He faced the participants using only naturally regenerating Aura. The tournament’s penalty of not being able to kill became part of his training.

‘Facing so many without killing a single one is harder than killing them all.’

If it were real combat training, Keter could enjoy it.

But still, it was disappointing.

Especially with Henya and Pasian.

‘With a bit more refinement, they could become truly threatening.’

As the battle turned chaotic, Keter found relaxation.

Keter felt most comfortable in chaos. While continuously shooting arrows, he began to observe Henya and Pasian’s swordsmanship and footwork.

‘Hmm, I see their issues.’

Whoosh!

Keter, who had been maintaining distance, closed the gap with Pasian in an instant.

Pasian, unfazed by Keter’s sudden appearance, immediately unleashed a flurry of sword strikes—

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Keter precisely intercepted the sword just before it accelerated.

Gasp!

Keter, now close to Pasian, pressed his finger against Pasian’s throat and said,

“Hold your sword shorter, relax your wrist.”

“…!”

Whoosh!

Pasian, having received advice, swung his sword fiercely, but Keter easily dodged by repeatedly entering and exiting the sword’s range.

“Your footwork is too narrow. Widen it. Your swordsmanship is aggressive, but your body seeks safety, halving its effectiveness.”

Even while giving advice, Keter acted as if he had eyes on his back. He elbowed a knight sneaking up on him, then grabbed the knight’s arm and threw him at Pasian.

“Distraction!”

Excited by the advice, Pasian instinctively swung his sword at the allied knight.

The knight, to survive, struck back with his sword, thinking he would die. After all, Pasian was a Master, and he was merely a 2-Star Knight.

Clang!

But for some reason.

Pasian’s sword was blocked by the 2-Star Knight’s sword.

“…!”

Even the 2-Star Knight was surprised he blocked it.

Pasian, as if expecting this, pushed the knight aside and looked for Keter. But Keter was already gone, heading towards Henya.

The surviving knight, wiping his chest, said,

“I really thought you were going to kill me.”

“…Why would I do that?”

Pasian took a moment to catch his breath. Not to rest, but to hide his weakness.

‘Keter. Surely he doesn’t know about Muryeong.’

Muryeong gains immense power by ‘declaring’ one’s will to the world. But depending on the content, ‘restrictions’ can arise.

For example, Pasian declared while ambushing Keter,

“Become a sword that crushes arrows in a single strike!”

The reason Pasian’s sword could easily block Keter’s arrows was due to this power of Muryeong.

By ‘declaring’ his will to crush arrows, the power was imbued in his sword. Thus, it gained immense offensive power against arrows.

But conversely, a ‘restriction’ arose, halving its effectiveness against anything other than arrows. Keter’s ‘Bowstaff’ remained unbroken, and the 2-Star Knight’s sword wasn’t shattered—proof of this restriction.

‘On top of that, giving me advice while fighting me.’

At first, only anger surged, but now calmed, Pasian’s eyes twitched.

But…

‘I don’t want to believe it, but everything he said made sense.’

Pasian watched Keter beat down knights who had taken Rage Potions and swallowed hard.

‘Did I pick the wrong opponent?’

Wiping the throat Keter had pressed, Pasian seriously worried about his future.

* * *

Henya was struggling against knights charging like madmen.

She had exhausted most of her Aura fighting Keter, but the biggest issue was her lack of experience.

She had never faced more than five knights charging blindly. Henya’s expertise was monsters.

Yet, she held on because she was a natural sword genius. With minimal Aura and precise force distribution, she matched the knights’ offense and defense.

Then, the knights began to soar into the sky. Not metaphorically—they literally rose and then fell to the ground.

It was clear who caused this phenomenon.

“Keter!”

Even the knights surrounding Henya turned their eyes. They had no choice, as the chilling sounds from the falling knights reached their ears.

Thud! Crunch! Bang!

Keter began to appear among the knights. The knights, with bloodshot eyes, muttered his name.

“It’s Keter.”

“Let’s kill Keter.”

The knights, having lost their sanity, forgot that killing was prohibited and began pouring attacks on Keter. Face, neck, heart. They aimed for human vital points at the shortest distance.

Keter’s response…

“Get lost, you drug-addled brats.”

Whoosh! Swish!

Like a bullfighter, he grabbed the charging knights’ swords or arms and flung them back.

With bare hands, he tore through Sword Aura that could easily slice human bone and flesh, and effortlessly lifted grown men in steel armor into the air.

Henya realized once again what she was up against.

‘What technique is he using? If he’s protecting his body with Aura, why can’t I see it?’

Even if he protected his body with Aura, how many in the world could throw themselves so boldly against Sword Aura?

As Henya watched Keter treat the knights like luggage, Keter suddenly appeared before her.

“Not paying attention?”

Keter, who had been far away, appeared instantly before Henya. Not a visible leap or charge—it was like teleportation.

“Light Body Technique, you knew it too.”

Keter swung his Bowstaff and replied to Henya’s words.

“It’s an archer’s essential skill.”

Henya, crossing her twin swords to block the Bowstaff, steadied her breath and counterattacked.

She knew Keter had monstrous stamina and skill, but Henya didn’t give up. She didn’t live a life of giving up just because the opponent was strong. She fought to the very end, even if it meant defeat and death.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Henya’s signature Twin Sword Wheel technique pushed Keter back.

But Keter, having experienced the Wheel technique twice, quickly found the pattern and precisely struck where the two swords crossed.

Crash!

The unbreakable Wheel technique broke. Henya’s stance crumbled, and she staggered.

Thwack!

Keter’s Bowstaff mercilessly struck Henya’s thigh. Henya didn’t cry out in pain, but her body’s reaction forced one knee to the ground.

“I see your body stiffening just before getting hit. Bad habit.”

“…?”

Instead of continuing the attack, Keter suddenly gave advice. Henya was puzzled.

“If you’re going to get hit, accept it. Your body stiffens because you refuse to accept it. Either strike back together or visualize what to do after getting hit.”

“What are you talking about…?”

“Here we go again.”

Whoosh!

Keter’s Bowstaff swung again.

Henya, with both arms still intact, unleashed the Twin Sword Wheel once more.

But Henya’s Twin Sword Wheel was designed to unleash its full power either with a magical tool or when filled with Aura.

Currently, neither was the case. Without a magical tool and with only a faint amount of Aura, her twin swordsmanship, while highly refined, lacked fundamental power.

Once again, her stance crumbled as the crossing point of her twin swords was exploited. Keter’s Bowstaff aimed for her abdomen this time.

At that moment, Henya felt it.

As Keter said, her body stiffened.

‘If I’m going to get hit anyway…’

Henya thrust her right sword at Keter. It was too short to target the torso but perfect for the arm.

Thud!

Stabbed in the abdomen by the Bowstaff’s tip, Henya didn’t retreat but instead stepped forward, thrusting her sword. She had visualized the post-hit scenario, as Keter advised.

“You learn fast, Henya.”

“…”

Henya didn’t respond.

It wasn’t intentional.

She had instantly entered a state of no-mind, absorbed in Keter’s teachings.

Keter, receiving her twin swordsmanship, continued to advise.

“Adjust the gap with your torso, not your arms. It makes predicting the sword’s path much harder.”

“Don’t plan the sword’s path in your head. Let the sword go where it wants.”

“Your attack pattern is divided into right and left. Try dividing it into four zones: the centerline and waistline.”

With each word, Henya absorbed and integrated it into her swordsmanship. Her sword slowed, but its refinement increased exponentially.

Splat!

For the first time, Keter’s arm was wounded, easily blocking the twin swords. Keter smiled in satisfaction.

“Next time, we can fight more interestingly.”

Thwack!

Keter’s Bowstaff, swung from below, struck Henya’s chin. Even in her extreme focus and no-mind state, she couldn’t block this sudden strike.

Keter, leaving the fallen Henya behind, glanced around.

No one was unscathed. Those still standing were at least seriously injured. Knights who had taken Elixirs to recover had lost their previous courage, hesitating and only watching Keter’s movements.

Seeing their lost will to fight, Keter wiggled his finger.

“Not coming?”

“…”

“Fine. I won’t use the bow.”

Whoosh!

Keter, having discarded the Aura Bow, spread his arms. The knights, shocked, began to step back.

“Pasian. You should come.”

The addressed Pasian coughed and said,

“It seems the match is decided, so let’s collect the badges of the fallen knights. We’ll withdraw now.”

“That’s fine too.”

As Keter readily agreed, Pasian sensed it was an ominous sign.

Swish.

Keter reached into his pocket and pulled out something large and long.

Thud! Thud!

It was the Demon Archery technique ‘Dimensional Passage.’ Reaching into it, Keter pulled out a poker from dozens of kilometers away, clapped his hands, and smirked.

“Fight, and it’s ten hits. Run, and it’s thirty.”

For a knight, showing their back and running was a great shame—

Whoosh!

But Pasian, fundamentally a mercenary, abandoned the knights and fled without hesitation.

Knights who had taken Rage Potions, their cognitive abilities dulled, blinked, unable to grasp the situation.

“Knights should face their opponents! I’m glad at least you stayed!”

The remaining knights reluctantly began to fight Keter, but their swords lacked edge, having lost their will to fight.

“…”

And all of this was being broadcast live.

To tens of thousands of kingdom citizens, to hundreds of nobles.

“What am I watching right now?”

The audience began to process what they had seen.

The one who turned a vast deserted island into a wasteland with a single arrow.

The one who, surrounded by most participants, swept them all alone.

The one who overwhelmed Henya, daughter of Weapon Master Eslow and a Master herself.

The one who countered the ambush of the Master known as the Red Wolf with an unidentified sphere.

And ultimately, the one who defeated two Masters.

Thud! Thud!

And as if that wasn’t enough, the one currently beating down dozens of knights in real-time with a single club.

All of this was one person—

Keter.