Chun-Gyong shook the Sword of Koksan vertically, and the blood on the blade splattered on Lycander’s face.

“Did you see that?” Chun-Gyong asked.

“I sure did, twelve pinpoint thrusts. I’ve memorized it,” Lycander said with a smile, and the All-Seeing Prosthetic Eye shone.

[Activating Unique Skill: Technique Analysis.]

He had used his subordinates as bait to analyze Chun-Gyong’s Chok’s National Sword Technique thoroughly.

“Twenty-four cutting techniques and nine thrusting techniques. Thirty-three in total,” Lycander remarked.

“Oh? I have yet to show you all the techniques.”

“Analyzing one technique naturally gives insight into the others! At least, my eye allows me to!” Lycander smiled confidently and continued, “You appear to be a swordsman who honed his swordsmanship because your D Weapon and skills were both duds, but... Unfortunately for you, I am the worst nightmare for such people!”

Lycander unsheathed his sword and pointed it at Chun-Gyong, saying, “No matter how much the untalented struggle and hone their swordsmanship, their efforts become obsolete before my eye! I have already seen through your techniques!”

He dashed forward, and Chun-Gyong placed his right foot behind his left, preparing to dodge the attack using Right Turn. Just then, Lycander’s All-Seeing Prosthetic Eye flashed.

“No, you don’t!” he shouted as he thrust his sword, predicting Chun-Gyong’s evasive maneuver.

[Activating Unique Skill: Technique Reproduction.]

It was a simple but highly refined forward thrust.

“Straight Thrust?” Chun-Gyong mumbled.

“Ahaha! Did you see that? Yes, it’s your shabby swordsmanship! I’ve long since copied all of it!”

Lycander burst into laughter, certain of his victory, and thought, His techniques are quite decent, but it’s all child’s play before me!

He imagined his enemy’s face, hidden under the hood. He expected it to be filled with shock, rage, disbelief, and a sense of defeat. It had been so for every swordsman he had met thus far; shocked by the fact that their techniques, which they had dedicated their entire lives to, were seen through in just a few minutes. Such swordsmen were bound to lose all motivation and never hold a sword again.

“Ahahaha! Now, come on over! I will kill you with your own—”

Just then, a pair of will-o'-the-wisps blazed from inside the hood, and white teeth shone from the man’s smile. Anyone could see it was a smile of mockery.

“You fool,” Chun-Gyong said as he assumed a stance. He got on his right leg, raised his left leg, and placed his sword over his right shoulder. “True swordsmanship does not lie in techniques.”

“I have already seen through that technique, too! Give up—”

Chun-Gyong suddenly leaped upward like a pheasant flapping its wings. It was the technique, Golden Pheasant Stands Alone.

“A sword is not observed with the eye, but with the heart,” Chun-Gyong remarked.

Huh? Lycander thought as the All-Seeing Prosthetic Eye spun inside his eye socket.

He had seen through all of the enemy’s techniques, but he could not find a way to dodge the attack. It was as if his enemy had control of the entire space. Chun-Gyong’s stance fluidly shifted. Lycander could tell it was Straight Thrust, the attack that killed his subordinates.

I can block— 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

Chun-Gyong interrupted Lycander’s thoughts. “If you are a swordsman, trust not in your eyes, but your sword. A man can become a sword.”

His Sword of Koksan split Lycander’s helmet and pierced his forehead in an instant.

“Kurgh!” Lycander grunted, his expression in complete shock as the All-Seeing Prosthetic Eye popped out of his left eye socket.

Chun-Gyong stepped on the eye and destroyed it, saying, “A sword polished by the heart is unstoppable. You underestimated a swordsman by resorting to cheating—an act worth dying ten thousand times over.”

***

Xavier panted heavily, running away from the Segura Church as his clerical clothing fluttered. His church, which was like his kingdom, had become a monster’s den.

“H-he’s a monster!” he shouted, recalling the hooded man.

Each swing of his sword resulted in a Silver Cross Knight’s powerless death. The Silver Cross Knights were one of the most powerful groups in Clan Vatican. Each knight was as strong as a Semi Ranker, and Lycander, their captain, was a Ranker. They would naturally lose if they were against a Ranker, but one man had wiped them out with just a sword, no skills whatsoever.

He’s not human! Yeah, he has to be... another race! A superior race! Xavier thought, intending to let Clan Vatican know about this and to be protected.

“Huff! Huff! I’m free!” he said as he reached the church door, which had been cut cleanly in two earlier by the hooded man.

As he was about to escape the church, a voice, seemingly from the Grim Reaper, said from behind him, “You whipped the children with that hand.”

Warm blood splattered on his left cheek. It took Xavier a moment to realize what had happened.

“GAAAAAH!”

His left arm was severed, but his survival instinct forced his legs to keep moving.

The Grim Reaper then said, “You molested the children with that hand.”

“GUUURGH!”

His right arm was severed this time. The armless Xavier fell face-first on the ground. The footsteps grew closer, and Xavier tried to get away using only his legs like a duck, but he couldn’t even stand up now that his arms were gone. He could barely keep his balance.

“You trampled on the children’s dreams with those feet. You listened to the children’s screams with those ears. You watched the children’s despair with those eyes. You threatened the children with that tongue.”

“Urghhh... Urrrhhh...” Xavier was reduced to a lump of meat that couldn’t hear, see, or talk.

“Is this how you do it?” Chun-Gyong muttered as he activated the trait, Thousand-Man Killer.

[Thousand-Man Mark, stamped.]

[The Thousand-Killing Aura permeates the target’s body.]

“GRUUUUURGH!” Xavier shook intensely with his mouth foaming because of the immense pain that came with exposure to the Thousand-Killing Aura.

Chun-Gyong simply watched as he raised the Sword of Koksan, mumbling, “Death is far too merciful for you, but I cannot allow you to be a part of these children’s future. Hence, I allow you to die.”

A clean cut severed Xavier’s head from his body, and cheers broke out from the church.

“Y-yeaaah!”

“The Devil is... dead!”

“Haaaaah! The bastard is finally dead!”

“Waaaaah!”

“Mommy!”

Chun-Gyong looked up and saw children clinging to the stained glass window, crying and shouting.

“Mmm...” Chun-Gyong placed his right hand over his heart; it was pounding energetically. He smiled and said, “I see. I am alive.”

A grumpy voice echoed in his head, The alive one is me. You died long ago. Please make that distinction clear.

“Ahaha! I can’t argue with that. The dead will stay dead. Ahahaha!” Chun-Gyong’s vibrant laughter echoed throughout the night sky.

***

“Come inside, kids! Come on!” A beautiful woman in a pink apron and with silver hair at waist length, guided the grubby children. “We’ve gotta get you cleaned up. Since it’s late, let’s get some sleep for today, and starting tomorrow... it looks like we’ll be busy.”

The woman with silver hair and eyes directed the children, looking around anxiously, inside the building made of red bricks and a large windmill. The building was labeled Windmill Orphanage.

“Thank you. I only know how to kill; I have no idea how to save a life. I wouldn’t have known what to do with that many children without your help, Seong-Hwi,” Chun-Gyong mumbled.

Seong-Hwi’s voice echoed inside his head, Not at all. You saved those children. If I were you, I would not have been nearly as active.

“Is that so? I saved them, huh? I did not think I would get to feel what it is like to be human after dying.”

Just then, four children rushed out from the Windmill Orphanage; they were the ones who had attacked Seong-Hwi.

“Oliver!”

“Toby!”

“Hassan! Thiago! Sun Jian! Lan Yan! You’re all okay!” Oliver shouted.

“I told you they were safe, Oliver,” Toby remarked.

The four children helped Toby support Oliver, rushing them to hurry inside.

“Let’s head inside!”

“This place is nothing like the Segura Church.”

“Yeah, the kids here say this place is paradise!”

Toby calmed them down and turned around, saying, “Wait, guys. We should thank him.”

“Ah...”

“Oh...”

The children flinched once they noticed Chun-Gyong, but Toby energetically approached him and bowed, shouting, “Thank you very much... for helping us!”

“You’re welcome, Western boy. Live fruitfully from now on,” Chun-Gyong replied with a smile and roughly patted Toby.

His warmth brought Toby to tears. “Thank... you. Thank you so much! T-thank... Sniff!”

“Oh, boy... As I’ve said many times, a man only cries three times in his life—”

“When he’s born... when his parents pass away... and when he loses his country, right?”

“Yes, so cease your tears.”

“No, I... can cry today, because... it is the day I was reborn.” Toby raised his head, tears flowing from his eyes. He held his cricket bat like a sword and shouted, “I will become a swordsman as strong as you, Mister! I will become strong enough to protect everyone!”

Chun-Gyong remained silent, blinded by the boy’s eyes. His tears reflected light, making his eyes look like shining stars in the night sky.

Could that be the brilliant splendor you want so badly, Seong-Hwi? Chun-Gyong asked inwardly.

Seong-Hwi answered, I don’t know about that. I am not searching for the light in others; I wish to shine brightly by myself.

Is that so? Then that must be my brilliant splendor.

Chun-Gyong smiled brighter than ever before as he patted Toby’s head. “Very well, boy. Become an undefeated swordsman. You only need to do one thing—polish your sword.”

“A sword? Then... I guess I need to buy one,” Toby replied as he stared at his cricket bat.

Chun-Gyong shook his head, placed his finger on Toby’s small chest, and remarked, “You already have one. Polish the sword in your heart, and there will be nothing in this world you cannot cut.”

“Ah...” Toby expressed as he touched his chest. It felt like a wave was spreading throughout his body.

“Stay strong, boy. The way of the sword is a difficult one.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Now, go. Your friends are waiting.”

Toby ran toward his friends and said something to them. The six children turned to Chun-Gyong and simultaneously bowed.

“T-thank you very much!”

“We’re sorry!”

“Thank you.”

“Thank you for saving Oliver!”

“I will... become an adult like you and pay back the Coins you lent me.”

“I will become an undefeated swordsman!”

The children ran into the Windmill Orphanage after finishing their greetings, turning back several times on the way.

“There they go,” Chun Gyong mumbled as he watched them.

Just then, the woman with silver hair and eyes returned after guiding the children, and said, “Phew, there sure are a lot of them, but we should be able to accommodate them all.” She stared skeptically at Chun-Gyong and continued, “That aside... who are you? I reported the Segura Church to the Union, but... will you also be investigated?”

Chun-Gyong shook his head.

The woman blinked curiously and asked, “What’s your name?”

“I cannot say,” Chun-Gyong replied.

He then said inwardly, That was your condition for telling me about this place, right?

Seong-Hwi remained silent as he stared at the woman before him and thought, We... finally meet.

After returning to the past, he had searched for the Calasanz clansmen residing in the Capital one by one, but had subconsciously avoided the woman before him.

“Well... Okay. Don’t worry about the children. Now that I’ve accepted them, they’re my family,” the woman said.

“They’ve been through a lot. It will be difficult to have them open up because of the thorns in their hearts, but I leave them in your care.”

The woman smiled beautifully and said, “One must become a weed over a flower. If they have no choice but to become a flower, they must grow thorns coated in poison. Oh, that doesn’t mean I will treat the children poorly. I will give them as much love as I can.”

She hasn’t changed, Seong-Hwi thought.

Would you like me to tell her anything? Chun-Gyong asked inwardly.

In that case...

Chun-Gyong relayed Seong-Hwi’s message, “From what I know, tulips don’t have thorns.”

The woman’s brow furrowed as she asked, “How did you know I was from the Netherlands? Oh... Is it because of the name of the orphanage?” She nodded after coming to her own conclusions.

Seeing that, Seong-Hwi said to Chun-Gyong, Let’s go.

Are you sure? Don’t you two know each other? Chun-Gyong asked inwardly.

Not anymore.

Well... I understand. Chun-Gyong did not ask further and turned to leave the Windmill Orphanage.

***

Members of the Union were dispatched to the Segura Church after receiving a report. They expressed amazement after examining the corpses throughout the area.

“Wow... This is remarkable.”

“I don’t see a hint of hesitation in this attack.”

“This thrust perfectly struck the vitals. What a master.”

They were from Clan Martial, mostly consisting of those who honed their techniques with weapons instead of depending on D Weapons or skills. Hence, they couldn’t help but be impressed by the extraordinary swordsmanship engraved on the corpses.

“A master, huh? That’s an understatement,” said a man with a deep voice, examining the corpse of Lycander Reynold.

The man with black hair and blue eyes wore gold-rimmed glasses, and there was a giant Zweihander on his back.

“What do you mean, Sword Emperor?” a clansman asked.

“This man is Lycander Reynold, a wicked man who crippled several of our clansmen. The assailant’s thrust straight through the forehead is exceptional, but it’s nothing you can’t do, sir,” another clansman remarked.

The man was Gustav von Seyffer, a German swordsman, ranked tenth among humans. He was a prodigious swordsman who had reached the level of High Ranker without a D Weapon or skills in particular—only his sword.

He shook his head as he stared at the traces on Lycander’s corpse and said, “The assailant overpowered Lycander’s heart and soul with the sword of his heart. This man faced an inevitable death without even being allowed to resist.”

The clansmen approached the corpse to examine it more thoroughly, but all they could see was the extraordinarily clean thrust into his forehead.

“The title of Sword Emperor suits this unknown assailant more than me. I have a long way to go,” Gustav muttered.

The clansmen stared at the Sword Emperor in shock. A few believed he was being modest, but those who knew that Gustav never went back on his word could see that he was being honest.

“I wonder who it is? I would love to face them!” Gustav shouted, fighting spirit blazing from behind his gold-rimmed glasses.

It had not been long since he wanted to fight against Seong-Hwi, whom his subordinate, Frank, had praised immensely, and the one who exuded a caliber on par with his during the Ranker meeting. However, yet another master had appeared.

“Yet another Irregular! The world is vast!” the Sword Emperor shouted as his smile widened.

The skies were worth soaring through because there was always a sky beyond it.

***

Are you sure? You still have more time, Seong-Hwi asked.

“It’s okay. I have found my purpose as Chok Chun-Gyong, the human.” Chun-Gyong smiled as he continued, “I was merely a sword that cut down my enemies in whatever way I was swung. I have no intention of denying that part of myself.”

He conquered the Jurchens when he was in Yun Kwan’s hands, and acted like a dog when he was in Yi Cha-Gyom’s hands.

“I was a sword, and I will be from now on. If anything’s changed, it is that the one holding the sword will be myself.”

Chun-Gyong smiled brightly and closed his eyes; the sparkling eyes of the children he had saved illuminated the darkness.

“I was both a sword and a human all along,” he remarked.

[Quest: Life of Chok Chun-Gyong the Human, cleared.]

[Permanently borrowing the destiny of Chok Chun-Gyong the Unfortunate Martial God.]

Seong-Hwi remained silent momentarily, then opened his eyes. “I respect that, but that is your philosophy. It is not mine to follow.”

He took deep breaths and separated Chun-Gyong’s consciousness from his psyche. He could feel his psyche had already been severely corrupted. Just then, a voice echoed inside his head. It was not Chun-Gyong—it was Orpheus’s playful and coquettish voice.

Didn’t you promise me that you wouldn’t mock or disrespect love and always face it seriously?

Seong-Hwi thought, I see why I told Chok Chun-Gyong where the Windmill Orphanage is. It’s because I borrowed Orpheus’s destiny.

He shook his head, thinking about the woman with silver hair and eyes.

I thought I wouldn’t have to meet you in this life... Melody Mulder.

He couldn’t help what had already happened, so he decided to forget it. He rummaged through his hoodie pocket and pulled out something. It was the trunk of Bulgasal, dangling from Seong-Hwi’s grip. It had been sleeping soundly inside Seong-Hwi’s hoodie pocket despite Chun-Gyong’s rampage.

Pwoo?

Seong-Hwi said, “Just for today, whatever happens... absorb all of my nightmares. I’m counting on you.”

Bulgasal, blinking innocently as it stared at the exhausted-looking Seong-Hwi, energetically answered, Pwoo!