Chapter 44

Despite some mishaps, I managed to gain a lot in the end.

If the essence of martial arts is the manifestation of form,

the essence of magic techniques is the manifestation of will.

To allow those without divinity to reach the divine—

that is the foundation of magic techniques.

“And the two aren’t so different. Martial arts also involve will, and magic techniques also have form.”

Listening to Miho, I suddenly felt a bit embarrassed.

Had I been killing my enemies in too simplistic a way all this time?

I reflected on my combat methods.

Explosions. Poison. Flames. Absorption through divinity.

I used to practice swordsmanship diligently, but at some point, I neglected it because it didn’t seem efficient.

After all, in real combat, a straightforward and fast strike along the shortest path is the most effective.

I need to reflect.

Even though I could have improved my skills, I chose the easy path.

Lately, my growth has stagnated, and I need something to focus on.

Let’s practice swordsmanship.

As deeply as possible. Even if it doesn’t work in real combat.

I asked Miho how large her faction was.

After hesitating for a moment, Miho said that all the monsters in the mountain range we were currently in were her subordinates.

She’s more successful than I thought.

After praising her briefly, I asked how many of them were good with a sword.

“…Don’t be too nervous. Even if you swing with all your might, you won’t get hurt, so give it your best shot.”

“Ah, understood…”

And so, here we are now.

A one-eyed goblin is holding a massive sword, blinking repeatedly at Miho with a look of disbelief.

“Are… are you really the Nine-Tailed Fox?”

Miho chuckled at that.

“Why? Don’t you believe me?”

“N-no, no! I believe you!”

“Goblin Bireul. I heard you’re the best swordsman in Cheongsusan, so I came to see you in person. Show me what you’ve got.”

At Miho’s words, the goblin’s face turned bright red, and he gripped his sword with determination.

His blazing eyes were impressive.

I could once again see the position Miho held in this land.

Smiling, I pulled out a blunt iron sword from the void space.

The goblin tilted his head, as if wondering why I’d bring out something like that.

“If you face me, you’ll die.”

At the same time, I swung the sword horizontally.

The blunt blade, drawing a clean semicircle, shattered the goblin’s greatsword like a glass cup.

Amid the flying fragments and the loud explosion,

the goblin’s pupils shook in panic.

I sighed and took out two sealing orbs, attaching them to both wrists.

*

Regardless of his strength, the goblin named Bireul was quite knowledgeable about swordsmanship.

“Yes. In this situation, moving the back foot by a span and tilting the center axis diagonally is better for defense.”

“That’s a stance meant for deflecting, not just defending, right?”

“Correct. If you do this…”

“The enemy, seeing my center of gravity shift backward, will think it’s an opportunity and charge. Actually, defense won’t be that easy. But if I can deflect the next attack, I can twist my body like this and cut their throat. That’s what you mean, right?”

The goblin nodded in agreement.

Hmm…

Unfortunately, while theoretically possible, it doesn’t seem very efficient in real combat.

I stood up.

Standing in front of the goblin, my head only reached his chest.

He must be about 2.5 meters tall.

And his build is as massive as an athlete’s. The goblin’s swordsmanship was all based on opponents of this size.

In my case, even if one attack fails, I don’t leave an opening.

My center of gravity doesn’t waver.

The smaller the stature, the smaller the movements.

And vice versa.

For a goblin of this size, each movement is large and slow, so one mistake could lead to fatal consequences.

“Watch this.”

In the case of a human, with their inherent lightness, you can make one cut and then seamlessly flow into the next move.

The goblin coughed awkwardly as he saw my sword already at his neck.

“Actually, this technique assumes that you ‘perfectly’ deflect the opponent’s attack. So, without any loss of power. Only if you deflect perfectly can you attack faster than your opponent.”

The goblin seemed to shrink a bit, realizing his own words might not hold up.

Then Miho, holding a decorated sword, quietly approached me and said,

“Let’s spar with me too. I’ve practiced a lot with the sword.”

As she swung downward, I could definitely sense her precision.

She was using her entire body accurately.

I, still wearing three sealing orbs, slowly lowered my sword.

In Miho’s eyes, there was an intention to not only show her swordsmanship but also her growth up to this point.

The moment I took a step back, Miho’s body blurred again.

At the same time, three presences formed a triangle around me.

A clone technique, perhaps.

She’s grown so much in such a short time.

Even her appearance…

I couldn’t copy it perfectly, but since the attack would come before I could even check it, it was a sufficiently effective move.

However, the clones weren’t breathing.

The moment they moved, I swung my sword following the sound of their breath.

Whoosh-

Oh, I’m being pushed back.

With three Sealing Orbs, I’m being overpowered by Miho’s strength.

What a fresh experience.

Being overpowered by a humanoid opponent, not a giant monster, is a sensation I’ve rarely felt.

As I twisted my wrist to deflect the sword, Miho quickly stepped back and regained her stance.

I’m lagging in speed too.

This is…

“Not bad.”

Not only is there a difference in stats, but her swordsmanship itself is at a higher level than mine.

Proof that she’s been practicing hard lately.

While it resembles my practical swordsmanship, it has added form and refinement.

Miho has systematized my swordsmanship, which evolved through experience without theory.

I might actually lose here.

The only things I have over Miho right now are judgment and sense.

In terms of strength, speed, stamina, reaction, swordsmanship techniques, and the variety of skills used, I’m falling behind in every aspect.

I steadied my breath and took a proper stance.

I don’t want to lose.

“Hmph.”

Miho, seemingly enjoying herself, hummed a tune and flicked her fingers lightly.

At that moment, I felt heat beneath my feet.

Whoosh!

As I stepped aside, a massive pillar of fire shot up tens of meters.

Even if I could take the hit, the Sealing Orbs would break with that kind of power.

Miho’s blade surged through the flames.

If I blocked it head-on, I’d definitely be pushed back.

Suddenly remembering the goblin’s words, I shifted my back foot slightly, tilting my axis diagonally backward.

In that stance, I deflected Miho’s sword with the flat of my blade.

Even though the swords clearly clashed, there was no sound.

Miho’s sword passed through as if cutting through air.

My stance didn’t falter, but Miho was beside me, and I was facing her head-on.

I was faster.

Bang!

At that moment, blue letters rose from Miho’s neck, and with astonishing speed, she knocked my sword upward.

Unable to withstand the force, my sword flew out of my grip.

Miho whispered with a small smile.

“Sorry. But I really wanted to win just once.”

No need to apologize.

In that state, with my sword gone, I swung my hand down as if wielding a sword.

In the past, I’ve succeeded in swinging a sword from a distance through the resonance of Dimension Power.

Even with the Sealing Orbs, I wouldn’t fail at such close range.

A faint glow filled my hand.

It transformed into a blade, cutting through Miho.

*

“Hey. I told you. To go easy. Didn’t I?”

Belva barely managed to heal Miho, who was deeply wounded by my aura.

Miho hung her head, her pride clearly wounded.

It might be disappointing that she couldn’t defeat me, even in this weakened state.

Or perhaps she’s reflecting on her own carelessness, thinking she had won.

If she hadn’t let her guard down and revealed her hidden cards one by one, approaching calmly,

She might have easily won.

This clearly shows her lack of experience.

I turned my gaze to Freya, who was looking back and forth between the injured Miho and me.

She looked incredulous, her mouth slightly open.

“Why?”

“……”

No answer.

She immediately looked down, struggling not to meet my eyes.

Mixing poison into my aura out of habit was a mistake.

This seemed beyond Belva’s power, so we had to move to Miho’s quarters and pour in all sorts of medicinal herbs.

Especially a lot of antidote was needed.

Miho, repeatedly turning black and then recovering.

Perhaps finding that sight terrifying, she’s been like this since earlier whenever I approach.

“Not answering?”

Actually, I’m quite interested in the ability to create those gems.

Not for money, but because it’s fascinating how divinity can develop in such ways.

I think some research is needed.

“Hey.”

“…Yes?”

“Come sit here.”

First, we need to get friendly.