Sword Master Licen.

Dignity flowed from the man who looked close to sixty.

Under Licen’s house, dozens of sword houses stood together.

In the Kingdom of Goyard, the land of swords, the footing he held was extremely solid.

They said some of the swordsmanship currently used by the royal family had been created by his house, which showed just how thick his footing was.

[ Sword Master Licen Lv.401 ]

Seeing that level, it was so high I almost shrank back.

It showed that his fame was by no means low.

If it had been before the skill Flame was created, Hyunsoo wouldn’t have been able to welcome him with open arms.

Demonization.

That power Hyunsoo had made through a hologram, and whose name had been forcibly decided, had been like this.

(Demonization)

Active Skill

Grade: Calamity

Level: 1

Penalty: None

Mana Cost: 1,000

Effects:

·You draw out the demon power latent inside your body and become as strong as a demon, if only for a short time.

·All stats become stronger by 15~31% depending on probability.

·The level of all skills increases by 3.

·However, while Demonization is applied, your HP decreases.

·The application time will vary depending on probability, and it applies for 3~20 seconds.

·There is a probability the activation will fail.

15~31% stronger.

Hyunsoo made this Demonization with inspiration from Raging Sword.

‘Power that can transcend me, if only for a moment.’

If we assume it becomes 20% stronger, Hyunsoo could instantly become stronger by more than 60 levels.

‘Maybe I could become even stronger.’

Because Hyunsoo’s stat volume was overwhelmingly higher than users of the same level.

But there was a fatal drawback.

It could only be activated by burning HP.

‘And it might only activate for a mere 3 seconds.’

But the newly obtained Flame was better than this.

(Flame)

Grade: Calamity

Level: 1

Penalty: None

Mana Cost: 1,500

Effects:

·You will burn the flame latent inside your body and become a gigantic blazing fire.

·All stats become stronger by 10~23% depending on probability.

·The level of all skills increases by 2~3.

·However, while Flame is applied, your HP decreases.

·If your HP falls below 20%, there is a 5% probability true flame activates, burning at its hottest, and your HP will no longer decrease.

·The application time will vary depending on probability, and it applies for 3~20 seconds.

·There is a probability the activation will fail.

The single reason this Flame surpassed Demonization was that active and passive coexisted inside one skill.

Even though the amount of stats that increased had been lowered compared to Demonization.

In addition, this was written for the flame that activated as a passive.

True flame activates and burns at its hottest.

‘And the penalty of my HP dropping is lighter, too.’

And if you think about it, after hunting Helenya, Hyunsoo achieved explosive growth.

He obtained two calamity artifacts and gained the effects of a set artifact.

‘I want to test Flame quickly.’

Flame was power that let Hyunsoo surpass his current self, if only for a moment.

Because of that, it was hard to confirm that power against most opponents.

So when Sword Master Licen appeared, how could Hyunsoo not welcome him with a smile?

“Welcome, Sir Licen. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

‘This isn’t it......?’

Licen was flustered.

He quickly recovered his expression, then spoke while hiding what he really felt.

“I heard of Count Hyunsoo, who will one day lead this country, so how could I sit still? I brought too many people with me, but all of them are here so they can learn the face of the one who will become king, so I ask for your understanding.”

“I understand.”

Licen, too, was a person who held the title of count.

But in terms of influence inside the kingdom, he overwhelmingly surpassed Hyunsoo.

“And I was also curious. The power of the hero who executed the First Calamity, Helenya, and saved the kingdom.”

Back then, Licen had been beyond the barrier, too.

Licen saw every situation.

‘Was it called the Twin Dragon Sword?’

That sword was an exceptional sword.

Because of it, Bella became a legend for a moment, and a certain archer displayed transcendent momentum.

But that was all.

To Licen, whose level was over 400, Hyunsoo was someone he could trample sufficiently.

“Are you asking for a spar?”

“Yes. By sparring with the one who will inherit the Sword King’s seat, I wish to find my lacking parts.”

“Alright.”

Hyunsoo and Licen each stepped back.

‘He’s too excellent an opponent.’

And Hyunsoo was happy at the fact he could use Flame.

But he didn’t forget Licen’s essence.

Even with Flame, he was a strong opponent Hyunsoo could lose to.

Even so, there was a reason he approved the spar.

‘Because I wouldn’t have been able to avoid it anyway.’

Soon, Licen kicked off the ground.

In that moment, Hyunsoo’s eyes widened.

‘Fast.......’

Helenya’s strength lay in primal defense.

Licen, too, had an irrational body.

The part Hyunsoo didn’t know was that as far as skill went, Licen was second only to the Sword King.

To the point that if Licen had been young, he would have sat in Bella’s seat.

TWEAANG-!

Licen burrowed in toward Hyunsoo, who held Supreme Saber, and the two exchanged fierce blows.

‘Slow, crude, lacking!’

At this level, it was even worse than the sons of ordinary sword houses.

Maybe that was only natural.

Even if Hyunsoo had learned from many people, the period had been far too short.

By contrast, Sword Master was a figure who climbed to that seat with skill alone.

SKA-GA-AK-

‘It’s too easy, dragging you down from your seat!’

Catching an opening, his sword stabbed Hyunsoo’s solar plexus, a vital spot.

Anyway, outsiders were immortals who revived even if they died.

‘After I kill him and he’s reborn, he’ll be condemned by the people here.’

But then.......

KKAANG-

[Calamity Armor shines.]

[Triple defense is applied.]

“......?”

Licen was flustered.

His sword stabbed the armor.

He clearly poured aura into it and thrust powerfully, but rather than piercing the armor, the tip wouldn’t go any farther, as if blocked by rock.

TREM-BLE-

The tip of his sword trembled.

What was more astonishing was this.

[Anything That Cleaves]

[It momentarily increases cutting power by 4 times.]

The grotesque power of the Calamity Gauntlets activated.

Watching the black current flow get sucked into the sword through the gauntlets, Licen was shocked.

‘If I get cut by that, even I get cut.’

Power that utterly ignored a superhuman body.

Licen barely avoided it, then admitted it.

‘You really do have only strange things.’

But there was something those alone couldn’t do anything about.

SKA-GA-GA-GA-GAK-!

From all directions, Licen pressed in, and Hyunsoo got cut like crazy.

[HP falls below 80%.]

[HP falls below 70%.]

Hyunsoo was surprised at Sword Master’s power.

The reason he didn’t activate Flame right away was to find out how much skill he had.

Know the enemy and know yourself.

At this time, Hyunsoo was learning how lacking he was.

That became Hyunsoo’s power.

Because he knew he was lacking, he would improve in order to go further.

Licen, who had been pressing him, grew flustered.

[Pull]

HWA-AAAK-!

His body was suddenly sucked in.

And the moment he got cut once, he was horrified.

[Ninefold Slash]

KOO-KWA-KWA-GWA-GWA-GWA-GWAK-!

Allowing a single attack gave nine shocks.

KWA-JA-JA-JA-JAK-

What was even more shocking was Hyunsoo disappearing in an instant.

“Ghost Step.”

Licen admired it.

Because he knew.

The gap between his level and Hyunsoo’s was the difference between sky and earth.

Licen chased the Hyunsoo who vanished before his eyes using only sensing.

KANG, KA-KA-KANG, KKA-RA-RA-RANG- PUWUK-!

Out of more than fourteen attacks in a row, he allowed only three and deflected everything else.

“Sword Master, you’re truly incredible!”

“Count Hyunsoo, you’re no pushover either!”

And Hyunsoo’s HP plunged below 40%.

The power of Licen burrowing in like crazy was tremendous.

Hyunsoo was about to activate Flame because of that.

Because he realized the difference in skill between them was too wide.

Then his eyes met one person among the group of talents standing behind Licen.

They were shaking their head.

Through them, Hyunsoo could learn one fact.

‘Even if I win, it becomes as if I didn’t win?’

He understood the essence of this country and the worldview of this world.

‘They’re like aristocrats.’

Like the old Joseon era, they had their own frame and pointless stubbornness.

‘If I use power that looks like mysterious ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ power, I can’t capture them?’

Even though Hyunsoo wasn’t being pushed back by Licen that badly right now.

Hyunsoo realized.

‘Even if I win, it becomes a half victory.’

And Licen seemed to know it.

SKA-AK-

After striking Hyunsoo away, Licen surged forward quickly.

‘You finally understand!’

But Hyunsoo smiled invisibly.

‘If I use that.......’

He felt sorry toward Licen, but there was a way to overwhelm his swordsmanship for a moment.

It was created by the power Arte gave him.

That was Fate.

Fate had this kind of power.

‘You can, for one time only, unleash the power held by your fates as if you truly became them.’

Fate was the power of people he had brushed past for a moment.

And it was using the skills of those he possessed like he truly was them.

And Arte, who came to Vallas Territory, said to Hyunsoo.

‘The current Fate is only one segment, the true Fate will reveal itself little by little.’

One of those small segments had revealed itself to Hyunsoo not long ago.

[Fate activates.]

*****

The sons and daughters of prestigious houses.

They were the treasures of the Kingdom of Goyard.

The power of those who had not yet become adults was bigger than expected.

They were people who could raise someone as king, or bring them down.

And there were also those who didn’t come just because they listened to Licen, but came to see the true king’s successor.

In any group, there is a ruler.

The future Licen.

And the one who led the sons and daughters of dozens of prestigious houses.

One decision of his changed the children’s thinking, and the children followed one decision of his.

His name was Child.

Child watched the current situation coldly.

He was the most important person here.

Why?

Whether Hyunsoo became king or Licen became king.

That was a story for after time passed.

When that time flowed, Child would have become another Sword Saint.

Watching the two here, Child thought.

‘Who is more outstanding?’

Someone gripped by the prejudice of the land of swords down to the bone.

Because it was the land of swords, they believed sword skill had to be outstanding.

And they did not doubt that foundation moved the country and protected it.

‘Even if Count Hyunsoo wins, I will stand with Sir Licen.’

Overwhelming skill had been verified. Of course, that didn’t mean he would set Licen as king.

And him standing with Licen meant everyone here stood at Licen’s side.

In that moment, Licen’s grotesque, abnormal sword with its bizarre trajectory aimed for Hyunsoo’s back.

‘It’s incredible swordsmanship!’

No one here would be able to stop it.

In that moment.

‘What?’

Hyunsoo’s gaze changed.

Without even turning around, he lifted his sword and blocked the sword coming down.

TWEAANG-

“H-how does he block that?”

“What......!”

And Hyunsoo didn’t forget the essence.

‘I’m a user.’

In this world, how could he beat those who had held swords since birth with skill?

They had their advantage, and he had his advantage.

The power of the awakened Fate was like this.

[For 30 seconds, you move like someone you know.]

[They must be someone who has built a deep bond with you.]

Hyunsoo loosened his body.

Licen’s eyes shook.

‘Why, why......?’

Because he was close, he felt it more vividly than anyone.

‘Do I see His Highness in him!?’

The flustered Licen tried to pour on attacks.

He put strength into the tips of his feet that stepped on the ground and advanced as a storm.

PAA-AHT-!

And Hyunsoo moved as Barad, reciting the words he said while teaching him.

A sword aiming at his waist was stopped by the flat of the blade.

TWEAANG-!

“He said a sword must be flexible rather than rigid.”

Inside the storm, one sword came in.

Licen once again wrenched his sword with all his strength.

The tip of that sword coming down was blocked and stopped by the tip of Hyunsoo’s sword.

KAANG-!

The sword that entered the storm swung once and stilled all the wind.

A momentary silence.

SKA-AAAK-

He dodged the stabbing sword with only a twist of his toe.

Licen’s sword tip, a master of irregularity, moved brilliantly, changing its trajectory as it aimed for Hyunsoo.

“And I also learned that with a small force, a sword can create a big force.”

Then he lightly avoided it and struck Licen’s chest with the grip.

PPUHHH-!

Licen, who flew backward, was flustered.

Licen, regaining his balance and charging again, soon was horrified.

“And I also learned that sometimes you should steal that sword and aim for the neck.”

CHAE-KAANG-!

It was instantaneous.

Licen’s sword flew away and stabbed into the ground.

PUWUK-

“.......”

Licen’s eyes shook violently.

He came here to test him and trample him.

But Hyunsoo, who aimed a sword at him, said:

“The spar isn’t over yet.”

Licen realized.

‘H-how......!’

That what had climbed onto the test stand right now was him.