097. Proof (3)
Upon reaching the third of the seven gates, the level rose sharply.
In the first gateway, it was a fight with a priest who couldn’t even express his martial arts skills.
In the second gateway, it was a duel with a priest who just used his sword skills with authority.
Although it may take time, even the second gateway did not seem too difficult to me.
However, Resilian, the high priest of the third gateway, was already on a different level from the other priests.
“….”
Geomyeom (劍炎).
To me, who only knew how to use swordsmanship, it was no different from rat poison.
Its level was higher than that of sword skills, and it was a technique developed with an emphasis on thoroughly destroying sword skills weaker than one’s own.
Sword flame itself is not a skill that increases physical power that much, but should I say it feels like the magic power that makes up the sword itself is being crushed?
I don’t know exactly why, but it was clear that he was a difficult opponent.
That was the moment.
“The flame of the sword… You seem to know this state properly.”
Resilian said that with a cheerful smile, as if she had heard what I had just muttered.
“I was beaten badly once.”
As I replied, I blew more power into the hand holding the blood demon sword.
It was to ensure that Resilian, who had reached the edge of flames, could respond to an attack at any point.
“That must have been a good experience. Thanks to that, you will be able to handle the invisible law.”
What is the invisible law?
I opened my mouth with my eyes closed at the sound of catching the floating clouds.
“I don’t know what the invisible law means.”
Only then did Resilian nod as if she realized that she had misunderstood something.
“…I was mistaken. It looks like you can’t use the flame of the sword yet.”
At those words, it was the moment I was about to ask him what the invisible law was.
“Martial arts is the proof of life, and it is the only way to reach God by itself.”
Resilian said that while slowly raising the sword imbued with the flames.
“You will have to realize how great the road you are walking on is.”
Soon, he warned me with a voice full of turmoil, and at the same time his eyes flashed.
and-.
“Otherwise, I will die at the third gateway without doing anything.”
At the same time, Recilian swung his blade like lightning and charged.
「The skill ‘Grace of Wind’ is activated.」
「All speeds increase by 70%.」
「Current skill stacking progress – 7/7」
So, I used all the acceleration abilities I could use right away and ran in the same direction. .
「The skill ‘Instantaneous Acceleration’ is activated.」
It was the moment when the trial of the third gateway began.
***
Kagaga River!
The sword and sword fight, and the sword is destroyed by the flame of the pure white sword.
To that, I thought deep down that swordsmanship could not be anything other than a fraudulent ability.
It’s not like physical power is getting stronger, but I don’t know how to destroy the sword so easily.
At least it’s an imperfect geomyeom, so we can only endure for a short while and compete with each other.
If Resilian had been able to use full sword flame, he wouldn’t have been able to fight properly.
Kaga River!
Once, they competed with each other and entered a lull.
Using the grace of the wind, I was in a state of acceleration to the realm that Resilian, who currently handles sword flames, could not follow.
In a word, it was a situation where it was difficult to settle each other.
While I was gathering my magic power and quickly rolling my head.
“Manipulating the invisible makes a sword that cuts through all things.”
Resilian suddenly spoke as if she would help me.
“Thereby, a fictional blade called Aura with absolute physical power is born.”
At that, before I could even ask a question, Resilian swung her sword.
In line with that, I instinctively unleashed a slash through the sword skill.
And…
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!
“It is a splendid aura. It’s been a long time since I’ve experienced an aura that uses lightning, so my eyes are happy.”
Recilian casually looked at me while maintaining a slashing stance.
“…”
It was a stronger opponent than I imagined.
I’m struggling to release the sword skill through the skill of the flash sword.
Resilian casually threw a long-distance sword skill as if it was the basic of the basics.
‘The world we are aware of must be different.’
Even the words he hurled during battle had a more serious effect on me.
Like dropping a stone into a calm water and creating a big ripple.
Every time I heard an explanation that felt like catching a floating cloud, my magic power was wriggling and dynamic.
It was clear that it was a change for the good, not the bad.
I had no choice but to talk to Resilian while feeling intense doubt.
“Why are you throwing out such enlightening words?”
The third gateway is the proof of the body, and defeat is tantamount to death.
However, Resilian gave me nice words as if she wanted me to grow.
When I questioned this fact with strong doubts, Resilian replied with a smile.
“That’s because I want to see you prove it.”
“…?”
“The important thing in the path of martial arts is to genuinely prove each other’s martial arts and exchange.”
“What is that…”
“I want to see the martial arts you prove. That’s it.”
“Even if nothing remains after death… is it possible to do that?”
“Isn’t it obvious? That is the path and proof of martial arts.”
Resilian’s eyes felt as if there were sparks burning in them.
“Prove the body, prove the faith, prove the mind.”
hate.
“But what lies at the end is proof of martial arts in the end.”
The tip of the sword shakes.
“You cannot yet properly prove your own martial arts.”
It would be better if you treated me with malice.
“So, let me prove myself properly here.”
I can see why I felt guilty for killing Jane at the second gate.
She did not come to me with malice, but only to provide me with this ordeal.
Resilian was like that too.
He was encouraging me to grow, hoping that I would prove my martial arts properly.
「Manager ‘Iron-blooded Lord’ feels the tip of the contractor’s sword tremble slightly.」 「
Manager ‘White Crane Swordsman (白鶴劍仙)’ feels sorry for and sympathizes with your trembling sword.」
「Manager ‘Divine Seeker’ ’ I feel your spirit slowly crumbling.」
「The manager, the ‘Hero of the Ruined World’, says that you still don’t have the mindset of a warrior.]
Like the managers said, I was slowly crumbling.
I was fully prepared to kill a person with malicious intent… but
as a samurai, I was not prepared to compete purely in martial arts.
As soon as I realized that, my hands trembled in confusion.
“There is always a moment when everyone dies.”
That was the moment.
“Even more so, in a confrontation between the same warriors, the moment of death is closer.”
Resilian stared straight at me and continued speaking slowly.
“Some people fail to prove their martial arts, while others succeed in proving their martial arts.”
He said it with an inappropriately resolute face, as if it were the truth of this world.
“Proof is struggle and survival. Hesitation is a luxury.”
With that one word, I was able to hold on to my crumbling spirit.
This fight was not just an innocent fight, but a struggle, and a struggle for survival.
Since when was a weakling like me able to fight between good and evil with hesitation?
“…”
I admitted.
Just now, I almost paid the price for climbing the tower with my clumsy determination.
However, as soon as I realized this fact, I immediately abandoned my disliked attitude.
“Don’t dismiss proof of being an unarmed person as something like an insignificant murder.”
It is natural to fight each other and win, and it is a process of building one’s own life.
There was no qualification for me to classify it as a flow of good and evil.
Even if that’s the way you go on your own.
When I started to think that way, the shaking sword stopped shaking at some point.
Resilian looked at me as if she was satisfied with me, and soon smiled loudly.
“Yeah… just build up your faith slowly like that.”
Suddenly, his heart turned to steel as if he had never been shaken.
「The manager, ‘The Hero of the Ruined World’, feels that your spirit has grown and laughs out loud.
」
「The manager, ‘Iron-Blooded Lord’, is confident that you have set a new direction for growth, and has high expectations.」 「
The manager, the ‘Priest of the Seven Gods’, eagerly watches the birth of a new belief.]
This is the path of martial arts. Is it a belief held by a walker?
“Now the time for proof has come, adventurer.”
I don’t know, but now one thing is certain.
It is through fighting Recilian that he must learn the skill of Sword Flame.
I took a deep breath while holding the sword and immediately began to channel magic power through my body.
and-.
“Prove your life through your martial arts.”
Soon, I changed my momentum like steel and put my foot forward.
***
All senses of the body are hazy, as if submerged in water.
―Do you think you can fully handle sword skills when you don’t even know real martial arts?
Momentarily, Namgoong-hyuk’s words flashed through my mind.
Why did Namgung-hyeok say that powers, skills, or characteristics do not reach martial arts?
Martial arts is just something that has the same ability as a skill.
It turns magic all over the body and puts energy into the sword, and that is nothing more than a systematic structure.
Nevertheless, Namgoong-hyeok despised the skill and called it a false ability.
―False swordsmanship will not be able to follow the true swordsmanship.
It was even said that the sword skill used with authority was worse than the sword skill learned through real enlightenment.
Considering that those words are true to some extent, the words Namgung-hyeok spewed out are not meaningless at all.
It must have been because there was something in martial arts that made him despise skill.
―Handle the invisible to create a sword that cuts through all the world.
Resilian told me that invisible things form sword skills.
Then, I wondered if that invisible thing meant magic power.
However, if they had magical powers and handled them normally, neither Namgung-hyeok nor Resilian would have said such a thing to me.
―Thereby, a fictitious blade called Aura with absolute physical power is born.
Resilian called the sword skill that will be used when the new sword is unified as absolute physical force.
Isn’t it sword skill to treat the sword like a body and use it as if strengthening the body with magical power?
But why did Resilian tell me to understand the true nature of swordplay?
As I was thinking about it, a hypothesis suddenly popped up in my head.
-That must have been a good experience. Thanks to that, you will be able to handle the invisible law.
The words he said in his first meeting that he was able to handle the invisible law came to mind. It was a hypothesis
that the sword skill I was using wasn’t really strengthening the ordinary blade… but
forming a law that creates some kind of absolute physical force.
Then, if the law of the invisible world is called magic, how does sword flame come about?
I forced the magical power to recognize that the sword is no different from the body and achieved the union of the new swords.
A conclusion was drawn immediately.
‘It was a will.’
According to the will of the owner, the magical power changes its form every moment.
The willpower that is strong enough to form a sword is not just poured into the state of unifying the new sword, but is poured into other parts.
However, if you put all your willpower into other parts, the new sword union will not be maintained.
‘That’s why I thought I couldn’t feel a stronger physical force than Geomchi in Sword Flame.’
He did not increase his physical strength, but focused on creating the nature of destroying sword energy with willpower.
At that moment, I realized why Resilian said martial arts were the only way to God.
By transferring willpower to magic power, magic power twists and affects the laws of the real world.
What if reaching the end of it isn’t called becoming a god?
Roaring!
「…achievement ‘Way of the Warrior’ has been accomplished.」 「…Authority ‘Sword Merchant劍气傷人
‘ grows into Authority ‘Swordsman’s Territory.」
It took a while to cover it.
Right away, through the realization of the sword, the hazy senses woke up in an instant.
I swung my sword as I watched Resilian rush at me with an imperfect sword.
and-.
Kwakjijik!
In that instant, Resilian’s imperfect sword flame was eaten by me and even the blade was destroyed.
Chow!
Soon, Resilian, who was in the path of the sword I swung, was hit by the sword and pushed back greatly.
I opened my mouth without properly grasping what situation I was in, but
after a while, I was able to fully grasp my own state.
Geomyeongjigyeong (劍炎之境).
I had stepped into the supreme state that I had longed for so much.
